Incident at air force base

Photo: Contributed

UPDATE 10:55 a.m.

A British military air base in England used by the U.S. Air Force was locked down Monday after a disturbance of some kind, but the emergency measure ended when a man was taken into custody, police and Air Force officials said.

American service members fired shots during the incident at the Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, according to county police. No one was injured other than the detained man, who suffered cuts and bruises, police said.

The nature of the disturbance was unclear, although British media reported that a car tried to ram the perimeter gates at RAF Mildenhall.

Suffolk police said they were not looking for any other suspects at the site.

The base located about 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of London is home to 3,000 military personnel and their families. The U.S., which has long made extensive use of air bases in Britain, has air-refuelling assets stationed there.

The Pentagon initially urged all individuals near RAF Mildenhall to avoid it, but the lockdown was lifted about an hour after the potential threat was reported. Suffolk police said nearby schools and businesses had resumed normal activities because there was no danger to the community.

ORIGINAL 7 a.m.

British police say they are responding to a "significant" incident at a Royal Air Force base used by the U.S. Air Force.

Police say it happened at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and urged the public to stay away from the area for the time being. Police said Monday that further details would be released shortly.

British media suggested an individual in a vehicle tried to force his way through a checkpoint, but this wasn't confirmed.

RAF officials referred calls to police.