How did these two guys find themselves in the same news story? A firefighter commended for his work in the 7 July 2005 London bombings – and a cocaine smuggler.
Their pictures may explain it.
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This guy received the Fire Brigade’s Gold Award for risking his life to rescue people after the Number 30 bus was ripped apart in a suicide bomb attack in London’s Tavistock Square – one of four suicide bomb attacks that killed 52 people and injured almost 800.
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Whereas this guy has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for smuggling 110kg of cocaine into the UK – part of an organised crime operation estimated to have laundered between £70m and £80m.
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OK, they’re both 41-year-old Simon Ford. It’s been suggested that after the 7/7 attacks, when he displayed such heroism, that he suffered personal problems and became a cocaine user. You can read the BBC version of the story here.
So to return to the question in the title – hero or villain? Actually, isn’t it a far more interesting prospect that he’s both? Hero and villain. Wouldn’t that make a more interesting story, should it be turned into fiction?
Blackwatertown 
Another example life stranger than fiction
I’d call it hero. He did save people, what he does on his own time (as long as he does not harm others) is his business. Who gives a damn if he does cocaine? The media is scum these days (no offense). Don’t they have anything better to do?
Using cocaine because of severe emotional problems is one thing … smuggling drugs is something else.
I agree with you totally, Im sure he did suffer from what happened on 7/7, and had enough of having spent nearly 20 years in a demanding job.
We have all had personal problems but we dont go out and smuggle drugs that will end up being sold to kids.
I guess what he earned in a week from drug smuggling, it took him a month to earn as a fireman etc. It all boils down to “greed”.
People are capable of greatness, even while battling the imperfections of being human. Honor his actions on 7/7, but hold him responsible for his crime.