Concert venues get 'airport' security in victory for Martyn's Law

Concert venues get ‘airport’ security in victory for mother of Manchester terror attack victim: ‘Martyn’s Law’ will force events venues to have plans in place to prevent terrorist atrocities

  • Figen Murray lost her son Martyn Hett in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017
  • She campaigned for new regulations to protect the public from terror attacks  
  • Some venues may have to install metal detectors or may have to ban large bags
  • Security Minister Brandon Lewis has paid tribute to Mrs Murray’s tireless work

A grieving mother’s mission to protect the public from terror attacks will see airport-style security set up at concert halls, sports stadiums and other entertainment venues.

Figen Murray’s campaign for Martyn’s Law, in memory of the son she lost in the Manchester Arena bombing three years ago, has convinced the Government to announce new regulations at the end of this month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

It will require venues and councils to ramp up measures to prevent terrorist atrocities, which could include protecting town centres with bollards on main roads to deter vehicle rampages such as those at Westminster and London Bridge in 2017.

Figen Murray’s campaign for Martyn’s Law, in memory of the son she lost in the Manchester Arena bombing three years ago, has convinced the Government to announce new regulations at the end of this month. She is pictured above with late son Martyn and his stepfather Stuart Murray

The new powers are named after Martyn Hett, 29, one of the 22 victims of suicide bomber Salman Abedi at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. 

The PR manager’s death prompted Mrs Murray, 58, from Stockport, to campaign for greater public protection, and she spoke to Security Minister Brandon Lewis several times to press for the legislation.

Now Martyn’s Law has ‘100 per cent’ backing from Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Mr Lewis, who has written a tribute to Mrs Murray’s tireless work.

The Home Office will hire hundreds more counter-terrorism security experts to advise large-venue operators on what measures to take, said an official.

Martyn Hett, 29, was one of the 22 victims of suicide bomber at the concert. The new powers are being named after him

The grieving mother’s mission to protect the public from terror attacks will see airport-style security set up at concert halls, sports stadiums and other entertainment venues. The Manchester Arena terror attack in May 2017 is seen above

Some venues which can host thousands of people may have to install metal detectors and scanners, while others will be told not to allow entry to anyone carrying large bags.

Martyn’s Law will also require security guards at venues to be trained in counter-terrorism measures, to improve the chances of spotting suspicious individuals and packages. 

Salman Abedi carried out the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017

And it stipulates that local authorities will have to assess town squares or main roads for measures they can introduce to prevent attacks.

Last week, Manchester City Council became the first local authority to voluntarily introduce Martyn’s Law, a move welcomed by Mrs Murray and his stepfather Stuart.

‘I know for a fact it will save lives, and families will be saved the heartache we have gone through,’ she said.

‘It’s ridiculous that there are regulations for venues on how hot the food needs to be and how many toilets there need to be, but nothing to do with planning for terrorist attacks.’

There are times when, as a Government Minister, you feel truly humbled by the people you meet.

That was certainly the case when I sat down with Figen Murray. Her son Martyn Hett was among 22 people killed at the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017. 

I cannot begin to imagine the pain of losing a child, and anyone in her position would be forgiven for wanting to retreat from the world entirely.

We are working quickly to come up with a solution that will honour Martyn’s memory and all of those affected by terrorism, writes Security Minister Brandon Lewis, who is pictured above outside Downing Street this week

But in the years since Martyn’s death, Figen has made it her mission to stop any more people losing a loved one in the way that she and others have in terrorist attacks.

It has seen her travel across the country to urge secondary school pupils to resist extremist ideologies.

She’s also made very clear what she thinks politicians like myself should be doing to improve security in public venues, leading the campaign for what is now known as Martyn’s Law.

The Prime Minister, Home Secretary and I are all 100 per cent behind Figen and are working to improve security measures at public venues and spaces.

We are working quickly to come up with a solution that will honour Martyn’s memory and all of those affected by terrorism.

I am pleased that last week Manchester City Council announced new licensing rules, but we are committed to going further and making Martyn’s Law a reality for all public venues across the UK.

I am committed to working with Figen and others to ensure that we are all safe at the public venues and spaces we enjoy.

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