Airport attack heroes praised

THE bravery of people who helped foil the attempted Glasgow Airport terror attack has again been praised on the 10th anniversary of the plot.

On June 30, 2007, two men tried to drive a Jeep loaded with gas canisters into the main terminal of the airport as holidaymakers queued for flights.

The vehicle crashed at one of the entrances and burst into flames.

The only fatality from the attempted attack was terrorist Kafeel Ahmed, who was seriously burned and died about a month after the incident.

Bilal Abdulla, the other terrorist involved, was found guilty of carrying out the attack after a trial and jailed for at least 32 years.

When the Jeep failed to ignite fully at Glasgow airport, the attackers tried to light it themselves, prompting bystanders to tackle them.

A number of people who stepped in received awards for their bravery in the years after. Police officers, a taxi driver, an airport administrative worker and members of the public returning from holiday or collecting relatives were among those praised for their efforts.

Detective Superintendent David Swindle led the investigation into the attack and said serious harm could have been caused had it not been for the selfless acts of those at the scene.

He said: “If it hadn’t been for a concrete stanchion, the Jeep would have entered the terminal building.

“You can never know how many, but there would have been fatalities.

“Also, if it had not been for the intervention of people at the scene, they might still have been able to cause harm.”