Manchester City Council to implement 'Martyn's Law' in memory of Arena Attack victim
Martyn Hett's mum Figen Murray has been campaigning for tougher security checks in large venues in memory of her son.
Last updated 7th Jan 2020
The mother of one of the victims of the Manchester terror attack in 2017, is making progress in her fight for increased security at large venues across the country.
Manchester City Council will meet next week to hear proposals that will enshrine the principles of Martyn’s Law into future regulations to ensure the safety of all Manchester residents.
On 22 May 2017 Manchester was attacked. A terrorist bomb at the Manchester Arena claimed the lives of 22 people, and seriously injured dozens more.
One of the people who died that night was Martyn Hett. Since his death, Martyn’s mother Figen Murray has campaigned to have the Government introduce legislation to improve security at all public venues, calling it ‘Martyn’s Law’.
Although there are currently no laws which require venues to adhere to the principles of Martyn’s Law, this does not mean the Council cannot take action.
"I am certain that Martyn's Law will save lives"
Going forward, the Council will review the way in which it licences venues in order to ensure high safety standards are in place across the City. Initially this will have to be voluntary changes made by the owners of licensed premises. However, given the significance of the terror attack on Manchester, and the depth of feeling in the wake of the attack, we would hope that the practices which underlie Martyn’s Law would be taken up with enthusiasm.
The Council is in the process of developing a scheme of best practice amongst licensed venues, and exploring the ways by which Martyn’s Law could be implemented at a local level.
The existing range of licensing conditions will also be revised to incorporate specific counter-terrorism measures in order to improve safety. An example would be ensuring venues had a counter-terrorism plan in place, alongside associated staff training.
Figen Murray, commenting on these steps taken by the Council, said: “I am so pleased to see that Manchester City Council have embraced the principles of Martyn's Law and are setting a brilliant example by introducing some of its principles. It feels like a recognition and deep respect for the bereaved families and the hundreds of injured people. I am certain that Martyn's Law will save lives through the Council applying simple common sense."
Councillor Nigel Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The tireless work that has been carried out by Figen is a fitting tribute to not just the memory of her son Martyn, but to all of the other victims of the Manchester terror attack.
“We are proud to work with Figen to lead the way on bringing in an improved culture of safety in this country, but we need the Government to take action. Only they have the power to get Martyn’s Law onto the statute books and we hope it treats her campaign as a priority.
“We can never bring back those who were cruelly taken from us, but, by making small yet significant changes we may be able to prevent future loss of life. This is an aim that we can all rally around.”
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