Six months of US bombers at RAF Fairford

Neighbours have become used to the sound of warplanes thundering overhead

Gloucestershire Live (UK)

A campaign group has made a plea to "send Trump's bombers home" more than six months after US forces touched down in Gloucestershire.

US bomber jets first landed at RAF Fairford back in March, just as the ongoing US-Iran conflict began. Aircraft including B-52s, B1 Lancers and the C-17A have been based at the site, with a local landlord saying their noisy arrivals and departures can sometimes be heard even in the middle of the night.

The use of the RAF Fairford by the USAF is not new, with an agreement reached almost 80 years ago in 1948 that the American military could use the site during the Cold War to build up a deterrent against the Soviets in Europe.

A government paper published in March noted Fairford "has been used extensively by US military aircraft in previous conflicts, including Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003".

But that hasn't stopped residents near the base from feeling conflicted over its current use by Donald Trump. Since March, there have been a number of protests held in Fairford against the conflicts, while some neighbouring villages inundated with plane spotters have complained about the impact.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) says it is "absolutely shocking" the situation is still ongoing after six months, calling for the new Prime Minister to take action.

CND General Secretary, Sophie Bolt, said: "It is absolutely shocking that six months into the illegal US/Israeli bombing of Iran, this devastating war is still continuing. This is only worsening the global economic situation.

"The British government's permission to allow the US to use bases like Fairford and Diego Garcia has helped to prolong this disaster. It is also increasing the risks to the British population, with British bases like RAF Fairford now viewed as a legitimate target."She said Iran's nuclear programme was "close to a diplomatic solution" prior to the intervention by Israel and the US, undermining a peaceful resolution and escalating the wider threat.

Ms Bolt said CND and Fairford Action have been regularly protesting at RAF Fairford, adding: "We will continue to do so until Britain ends its support for this illegal war.

"Andy Burnham could help hasten a peaceful resolution and ease the threat of a global recession by closing down these bases and sending Trump's bombers home."

Aside from the political controversy, the practicalities are also still causing concern for neighbours. The landlady of a local pub in Kempsford, on the edge of RAF Fairford, has expressed "annoyance" at the ongoing noise pollution from the US bomber jets.

She said: "The biggest thing affecting everyone is the noise. Our regulars say that they can hear the engines being tested in the very early hours, at 2am or 3am. It's affecting a lot of people, especially if you work full-time. To have that right next door is an inconvenience.

"The plane spotters seem to have calmed down a bit now, but it was really dangerous for a while - you'd have families having picnics right along the side of a main road, or stepping out in the dark on a 60mph road.

"It's a worry that that could start up again if more planes come and there is more action from Fairford.

"I don't think anybody knows what he [Trump] is doing. From what I understand, he should have been allowed to use our air bases for 60 days from when they first launched here, and then after that it had to go to Congress. It's all just weird. Hopefully it will resolve itself."