HOW refreshing to at last be celebrating a "have-a-go" hero, in the shape of John Smeaton at Glasgow airport last week. So many times people who "interfere" get criticised.

Surely it is time we were all able to stand up, without fear of retribution, to perpetrators of antisocial behaviour, be it extreme terrorism, burglary or merely local nuisance. Too often they walk away with nothing more than slapped wrists.

It is time to recalibrate the scales of justice so that they benefit the law-abiding citizens of our society.

Just recently my son was a witness for the prosecution in a case where a large group of youths made an unprovoked, frenzied attack on innocent people, resulting in many injuries. Without the intervention of my son and others it's likely there could have been a fatality.

Because of the nature of our family business, it has resulted in a financial loss for my son to do this. He did what he thought (and still thinks) was the right thing to do.

Within hours of them receiving a guilty verdict he was faced with nasty verbal abuse and threats to his safety. Yet many of these abusers were at the scene and saw exactly what happened. But who is there to look out for him and others like him?

Come on everyone. Show your mettle and let's stand up more for the victims. At least let the punishments fit the crimes.

Name and address supplied.