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Police hunt two men who threatened airman with knife at RAF Marham Police consider terrorism motive behind RAF abduction attempt
(about 13 hours later)
Norfolk police are searching for two men who threatened an airman with a knife outside RAF Marham in Norfolk on Wednesday afternoon. Police are considering terrorism as a possible motive for the attempted abduction of a military serviceman from an RAF base, officials have said.
The serviceman, who was not in uniform, was not injured. The two men fled the scene in a dark coloured Ford Galaxy. Norfolk constabulary said they were seeking two men of “middle Eastern appearance” aged between 20 and 30, and confirmed the incident was being treated as a botched abduction attempt.
The base was locked down as police closed nearby roads and conducted patrols in the area. Officers were working closely with personnel from RAF Marham. The Ministry of Defence said it was aware of the “ongoing police operation” at the base but declined to comment further. The police investigation began after two men attempted to abduct an unarmed, non-uniformed serviceman at knifepoint near RAF Marham on Wednesday afternoon.
Marham is home to four squadrons of Tornado bombers, which have been conducting raids against Islamic State fighters in Syria since December from a base in Cyprus. The base remained on high alert, with officers on patrol and some roads still closed, but an event for families to celebrate the base’s centenary was due to proceed as planned on Thursday with a heightened civilian and RAF police presence, a base spokesman said.
Lorne Green, police and crime commissioner for Norfolk, told the East Anglian Daily Times that the incident was under “close investigation with an open mind”. Det Supt Paul Durham from the Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team, said: “I can confirm we are treating this as an attempted abduction and detailed inquiries are being carried out at the scene to establish the full circumstances.
“There is nothing at the moment to strongly suggest one motive above another and it is all subject to a very intensive investigation at the moment. There is a very close co-operation between the constabulary and the military police, which is ongoing at the moment.” “The motivation for the attack remains unclear at this time, and whilst we are currently unable to discount terrorism, there are a number of other possible hypotheses. We are therefore carrying out a thorough investigation to understand what has happened, why and who is responsible.
Police officers were carrying out reassurance patrols around the base on Wednesday night. “Visible patrols continue in the area and officers will be carrying out house-to-house inquiries and detailed searches of the scene in Squires Hill, which remains closed for the time being.”
RAF Marham is home to four Tornado squadrons that have played a key role in the bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria. From 2018, the base will also house the F-35 Lightning II jet.
Military personnel and bases in the UK have previously been the targets of terrorist attacks and plots, including the murder of the soldier Lee Rigby near Woolwich barracks in 2013. In April, two men were jailed for planning attacks on soldiers. The court heard that one of the men had used his job as a delivery driver to get close to several UK bases operated by the US military.
Norfolk police said they were called just before 3.30pm on Wednesday to reports that two men armed with a knife had approached the serviceman near RAF Marham’s married accommodation.
The serviceman had been jogging when he was approached. One of the men shouted at and tried to grab him, but the serviceman fought him off and the suspect fell to the ground. The second suspect, who was carrying a knife, approached the serviceman, but then went to attend to his friend, at which point the serviceman ran away.
The two suspects then fled the scene in a dark Ford Galaxy. The serviceman was unharmed.
Police released descriptions of the suspects. The first man was “between 20 and 30 years old, approximately 6ft tall, of athletic but stocky build, with dark hair which was long on top and [he] had a well-groomed beard. He was of Middle Eastern origin in appearance with a dark skin tone and wore dark casual clothing.”
The second was “between 20 and 30 years old, but younger than the first suspect and of a slimmer build. He was approximately 5ft 10, clean shaven with short dark hair. He was also of Middle Eastern origin in appearance and wore a white T-shirt and dark shorts.”
Durham said: “I’m keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicle described in the King’s Lynn area, but particularly towards Marham between midday and 6pm, and would urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem to them, to call police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The Mirror website published what it said was an internal Ministry of Defence memo describing the incident as an attempted abduction and warning personnel not to leave the base alone in uniform or clothing that identified them as having links to RAF Marham. It reported that the memo had been circulated to military and civilian staff at the base and posted on Facebook.
Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner, Lorne Green, said: “We must not draw any conclusions as investigations are in their early stages and the constabulary and the military police are working closely together. The incident is under investigation and the police are rightly keeping an open mind. There is nothing to suggest one motive above another.”
The MoD said security at all its bases was under continual review and it would be inappropriate to comment further.