Several men have been arrested and villagers evacuated from their homes after a major incident was declared near an RAF airbase used by the US Air Force.

The men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act following the incident close to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, police said.

The British air base has been used by US Air Force to carry out bombing missions against Iran in a bid to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Residents in the village of Whelford have been evacuated and taken to a nearby leisure centre, with armed police manning a cordon next to the RAF site entrance.

A large emergency services presence was seen in the area – including a Hazardous Area Response Team.

“A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident,” Gloucestershire Police said in a statement.

“It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles.”

The force said it wanted to “reassure people that we believe this incident is contained” – though a cordon is still in place at the site.

“We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place.”

Earlier this year Keir Starmer’s Government allowed the US to use RAF Fairford to launch “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) warned against allowing US bombers to fly from British bases, saying such sites would be legitimate targets.

“Our armed forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s ⁠on our soil or from abroad,” a UK Government spokesperson said at the time.

Andy Burnham was said to have been notified when he became PM that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had re-committed to allow the US to use UK bases.

Security measures at the RAF Fairford airbase increased significantly in recent days, a witness told Reuters news agency.

A US Air Force spokesperson told Reuters that it could not discuss any security measures.

They said the US Air Force’s support wing remains “vigilant and ⁠will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security ‌of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families”.

They added: “We constantly assess ⁠a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.