Guards fire on intruder as he rams airbase gate

MILITARY personnel fired shots after an intruder rammed his vehicle through the gates of a US air force base in Britain yesterday.

The suspect pretended to be a senior military official at the main checkpoint at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.

When police refused to let him in just after 1pm, he forced the car through the entrance and the base was placed into lockdown.

Sources said the intruder got close to a V22 Osprey, a £43million ‘heli-plane’ nicknamed the Transformer, before he was apprehended. A 44-year-old British man was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass.

He suffered cuts and bruises

‘Lucky to be in one piece’

but no one else was injured. His motive remained unclear, but police said the incident was not being treated as terrorism.

It is understood the man claimed to be someone ‘important within the military establishment’ when he was confronted at the main gates.

US military personnel opened fire when he ignored guards, including both American and UK Ministry of Defence police, and drove onto the base.

An RAF source said: ‘If you enter a military base forcibly you would expect an armed response. He was quite lucky to be in one piece.’ It is understood the suspect was not armed and no explosives were found in his vehicle.

RAF Mildenhall has been used by the American military since 1950. Several units are still based there, including a branch of its special operations command.