Venue security is already changing – Martyn’s Law campaigner

The mother of Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett says she is already seeing significant changes to venue security – as she waits for full implementation of the anti-terror law named after him.

Martyn’s Law gained the Royal Assent in April 3 2025 after an eight-year campaign led by Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray. It gives venues including arenas legal duties to help protect the public.

We are now in a two-year implementation period to help venues understand and comply with the legislation, and to allow the Security Industry Authority, the regulator of the UK’s private security industry, to establish a new function – to regulate the new law.

Ms Murray said she had already seen changes to venue security at venues and said she believed it was “beginning to be” much safer to go to public events.

“I am noticing it wherever I go,” she said. 

“I was in London a few months ago and I walked past Madame Tussauds and I smiled to myself because they were putting putting sort of security measures up whilst the queues were slowly forming.

“They are known in the industry as high footfall or mass screening technology that can actually screen people without them having to do bag searches. 

“They just go through and they don’t need to unpack anything or take their coats off so that will give venues the opportunity to screen people as quickly as they can and in greater quantities so queues outside will be kind of eliminated.” 

She said she visited Manchester Arena and saw they have the same high footfall technology there now.

Ms Murray said she was also noticing more smaller venues were doing bag searches, which she believed was down to the legislation “because everybody knows it’s coming”.

Read more: Why isn’t Martyn’s Law in force a year after Royal Assent? – BBC News

The future of venue security

The Protect Alliance’s Jodie Read said: “We’re also seeing a culture shift in venue security with businesses and organisations gearing up for this major new legislation. Now’s the time to get prepared and take a Martyn’s Law assessment to ensure you’ll be compliant.”