stay? And how did the three other alleged would-be bombers manage to flee? They were not athletes - surely they could have been caught? It is hard to avoid the conclusion that people did not think it was their responsibility to do something to contain the threat. Maybe they were not made of 'sterner stuff'.

But it is unlikely that England has turned into a nation of cowards. When I interviewed survivors of the July 7 bombings in London I was struck by the stories of heroism and solidarity. One young women told me that within seconds of a bomb going off people were passing their bottled water to total strangers and helping one another. There was plenty of stern stuff on display.

The reason why only one passenger decided that it was up to him to confront a threat to the lives of the public is because we are continually told that it is not our responsibility to deal with those who challenge our security and well-being. We are constantly warned about 'not having a go' and we are discouraged from dealing with the