US Air Force says it responded to ‘suspected drones’ over RAF Lakenheath

The US Air Force said it responded to "suspected unauthorised drone activity" over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Friday evening.

No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, a spokesperson for the US Air Force said.

It comes after unconfirmed reports that sirens were sounded at the base, which residents reported hearing from a nearby village.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC it was "coordinating with all relevant parties", adding that US Air Force security personnel responded to the reports and the situation was resolved.

"We are working closely with them to establish the facts," they added.

West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy said he had been in touch with authorities at the base, and was told "there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved".

"Given the raised threat level, I continue to encourage everyone to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary to the authorities," he added in a social media post.

Earlier this week, at least 12 US Air Force aircraft departed the nearby RAF Mildenhall base.

They included two Boeing Stratotanker KC-135 refuelling aircraft, with one apparently headed towards Germany and another seen landing at Prestwick Airport near Glasgow.

There has been heightened security activity at US bases in the UK following an incident at RAF Fairford in September that Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Iran played a part in.

Police said petrol but no explosives were found during searches of vans near the base.

Two men have been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service over their alleged involvement in the incident.

While Iran denied any responsibility, the US removed all of its bombers from the base in October.

The Wall Street Journal reported the departure of the US aircraft from RAF Mildenhall this week was in response to a further threat from Iran but the BBC has not independently verified the claim.

Earlier this week, Downing Street insisted British airbases were safe and that their security is a "top priority".

RAF Lakenheath hosts the US Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing, or the Liberty Wing as it is also known, which has nearly 7,000 active-duty personnel, some of whom are stationed at the base.

The Liberty Wing is the largest US fighter operation in Europe, its website says, employing four combat ready fighter squadrons.