It appears that the Bulford Army Camp in Wiltshire has been the subject of a major security alert when people was seen with a rifle near to the camp.
The local news site for the area ‘This Is Wiltshire’, is reporting that the local mayor has confirmed that there was an ongoing incident at the camp.
Writing for This Is Wiltshire site the reporter Chris Humphries said:
ARMY bases in Wiltshire were put on high alert on Thursday evening after the sighting of three people with a possible firearm.
The incident was confirmed by the Mayor of Tidworth, Coun Chris Franklin, shortly before 11.30pm.
He said: “I have just come off the phone from the Duty Officer. Three people seen with what was believed to possibly be a rifle on the ridge in Bulford.
“Air support and armed police sent to area. No sighting since. Goes without saying that a harder presence on camp gates and in and around the area will be active.
“Nothing further to report at this time.”
He said that the sighting of the three holding what appeared to be a “long-barrelled weapon” had been made by a runner adding, “That’s what it appeared to look like – it could’ve been a stick.”
Early reports of an incident began circulating earlier in the evening and the security posture at camps including Tidworth and Bulford was increased.
There were reports that helicopters had been seen above Salisbury Plain and that an increased number of police vehicles were in the area around the camps.
There was also said to be an increased Royal Military Police presence in the various residential areas allocated for forces families.
And Inspector Barry Hickman said: “I can confirm at 5pm yesterday the police attended a report of a suspicious incident close to a military barracks in Wiltshire.
“Police officers attended and conducted a search of the area with the assistance of the police helicopter.
“No persons were located.”
Mr Hickman added that the camp had been placed in “lockdown”.
Vigilance around military establishments across the UK was already heightened following an incident outside RAF Marham in Norfolk on Wednesday where a serviceman was threatened by two men armed with a knife.
Norfolk Police have said they are treating the incident as an attempted abduction and that they are “unable to discount terrorism” as a motive.
It’s obvious that the authorities are taking this sighting seriously enough to pull out all the security stops. The report was treated as credible by those who have the resources to check the story and they’ve instituted a security lockdown on local military bases.
This report may turn out to be a false alarm but equally it could turn out to be Islam related. If it is an Islam attack or an attack that has been foiled, then it should be the final death of the lie that Islam only produces a ‘tiny minority of extremists’. It should also mark a time when a much greater number of us see Islam for the existential threat to our nation and our society that is daily proving itself to be. There should be no more excuses made for Islam, we need to tell it like it is and call it what it is which is a clear and present danger to all of us, especially our service personnel.
Link
This Is Wiltshire page on rifle incident near army campaign
