Widower of MP Jo Cox backs plans which will force venues to protect the public against terrorist attacks
A public consultation is being launched for Martyn's Law, which will mean owners have to prepare for and consider the risks of an attack
The government are launching a consultation on new laws that will require venues to put measures in place to keep the public safe from terror attacks.
Figen Murray, is the mother of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. In the aftermath she was shocked to find out that there was no official law for venue owners to take basic steps to protect against terror attacks.
"Martyn and the other 21 victims cannot have lost their lives for nothing."
Since then, she has made it her mission to change the law to ensure that no other family goes through the same pain that she has.
The new law would require venue operators to consider the risk of a terrorist attack and take proportionate and reasonable measures to prepare for and protect the public from such an attack.
This could include increased physical security, having training in place, incident response plans and exercises for staff on what to do during an attack.
Figen said:
"It’s crucial this law is brought in and applies to all public venues because protecting the public from terror attacks is a priority and there cannot be exceptions. My focus will always be to stop such violent acts from happening again because Martyn and the other 21 victims cannot have lost their lives for nothing."
"Some venues have decide that's a way to cut costs, so some have got very good security and some have got really poor security."
The widower of murdered Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox husband is backing Marytn's law, he said:
"What's happened in the past, sometimes, is that venues have competed on security, so if you're trying to cut costs, some venues have decide that's a way to cut costs, so some have got very good security and some have got really poor security.
"We hope this consultation is the beginning of closing that loop hole, so that every venue, no matter what size or scale has to think in the way you do about the threat of fire.
"We hope that when it's published there's no more loop holes, there aren't venues that are excluded, that there are basic responsibilities for every venue."
The consultation on Martyn's law will run over the next 18 weeks, until early summer, when a new draft legislation for the Protect Duty will begin taking official steps to ensure the public feels safer and protected.