As Glasgow came under attack, its everyday heroes emerged.

As Glasgow came under attack, its everyday heroes emerged.

At the airport itself, there is little doubt that the quick, decisive reactions of emergency services, staff and passengers helped foil the bombers' plans to kill and maim.

Baggage handler John Smeaton became the face of Glasgow's indignation after his defiant claim: "If you come to Glasgow we'll set about you" was flashed around the world in the aftermath of the attack.

Smeato, as he was nicknamed in the press, claimed to have punched and kicked one of the terrorists as he watched the Jeep career into the terminal building while on a cigarette break.

He later won the Queen's Award for Gallantry and was feted by Gordon Brown and Alex Salmond, though others cast doubt on his version of events, and he was not asked to give evidence at the trial.

One man who did give evidence, however, was Michael Kerr, who broke his leg after tackling Bilal Abdulla as he returned from his holiday. It happened in a flash," said Mr Kerr, who spent four days in hospital following the attack. "I knew something was wrong so I went for him."

Sergeant Torquil Campbell, who sprayed Kafeel Ahmed with CS spray, said: "The greatest achievement undoubtedly is the fact that no innocent lives were lost and the terrorists failed in their attempts to cause mayhem and mass murder at the airport."

Constable Stewart Ferguson was off-duty when he saw the attack unfold at the airport. He was only intending to pick his parents up, but when he saw what was going on he ran in, helped his colleague Mr Campbell and then hosed down Ahmed with a fire extinguisher.

He said when he looked at the photograph of himself using the fire extinguisher he found it scarcely believable given that his sole purpose for being at the airport was to pick up his parents. "Such is fate," he added.

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