In mythology, Hector was a great warrior who fought against the Greeks in the Trojan War.
He was also, according to most classical accounts, a thoroughly decent man.
Was it bravery or foolhardiness that led his namesake Hector Higgins to take a bus to Rosyth and then stride towards restricted areas of the town's Royal Naval Dockyard, the day after the Queen had officially named a new aircraft carrier amid massive security?
Either way, the uniformed officers who detained him seem to have decided he was not only decent, but carried no serious security risk.
Rather than escort Mr Higgins from the area, or even arresting him as he initially feared, the MoD officers took him further into the dockyard for a private tour of the facilities and the new £3.2 billion aircraft carrier.
It reflects well on the 90-year-old that the MoD thought well enough of him to give him this unexpected end to an unplanned bus jaunt.
But it also reflects well on the MoD and manufacturer BAe Systems, that in this age of excessive security clampdowns and organisational paranoia, a little common sense was allowed to carry the day. A little common sense and a bit of smart PR.
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