Free Republic

Party applause for airport hero The prime minister used part of his Labour Party conference speech to praise the airport baggage handler who restrained a terror suspect. John Smeaton accepted the applause of the Bournemouth crowd after Gordon Brown highlighted his heroic efforts. The 31-year-old shot to fame after helping police tackle a man who drove a jeep into Glasgow's terminal building. Mr Smeaton had already met Mr Brown at Downing Street and been praised by First Minister Alex Salmond. Mention of Mr Smeaton came at the start of Mr Brown's first conference address as prime minister. The prime minister...

Hero baggage handler at 9/11 event 5 hours ago Hero baggage handler John Smeaton has travelled to the US, where he will take part in a ceremony marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The airport worker, who found worldwide fame after his courage during the terror attack on Glasgow Airport, has been invited to this year's commemoration service at the World Trade Centre in New York. The 31-year-old, from Renfrewshire, jetted off from Heathrow airport in London. He was pushed into the limelight after he raced to help when a burning Jeep was driven into the airport terminal....

GLASGOW -- Last Saturday afternoon, baggage handler John Smeaton was standing in front of Glasgow Airport smoking a cigarette when a Jeep Cherokee burst into flames nearby. He watched its burning driver emerge. A police officer pursued the passenger. What happened next has turned Mr. Smeaton, 31 years old, into an unlikely folk hero. When he saw the passenger hitting the officer, Mr. Smeaton ran over and kicked the assailant. Mr. Smeaton has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN and other networks about his response to the attack in which two suspected terrorists attempted to ram into the airport's main...