Hero of the Hour is a single British television thriller film, written by Bill Gallagher and directed by David Richards, that broadcast on ITV on 12 March 2000. The film, produced by London Weekend Television's Joshua St. Johnston, focuses on security guard Richie Liddle (Ross Kemp), who foils an armed robbery and becomes a national hero, but finds his new-found fame cannot appease his guilty conscience.

Plot

Security guard Richie Liddle (Ross Kemp) is an ordinary family man with four kids to support. Money is tight and tension is high as his wife Alison (Maggie O'Neill) constantly nags him to get a better job and move them away from their troubled estate. In addition, his eldest daughter Donna (Lara Bruce) suffers from bullying due to a facial disfigurement. There seems no way out, until one dark night an incident occurs that transforms him into both hero and villain. The building he is guarding is robbed, and whilst Richie is trying to chase off the burglars, he comes across a bag of stolen money. Could it be the solution to his problems, or just the beginning of the end?