Martyn’s Law – How it affects the Hospitality Industry
“Martyn’s Law”, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, aims to improve security and preparedness at publicly accessible locations in the UK. It requires certain premises and events to assess and mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks, with different tiers of requirements based on venue size and expected capacity.
The law is named after Martyn Hett, who died in the Manchester Arena attack on the 22nd May 2017, and seeks to ensure lessons are learned from that tragedy by requiring venues to take steps to enhance public safety.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Key Objectives:
- Improve Protective Security: The law aims to enhance the security measures in place at publicly accessible locations to better protect the public from terrorist attacks.
- Organisational Preparedness: It mandates that organisations responsible for these locations develop and implement plans to respond effectively to potential terrorist incidents.
- Tiered Approach: The legislation uses a tiered system, meaning different venues and events will have varying levels of requirements based on factors like capacity.
Who is Affected?
- Publicly Accessible Locations: The law applies to a range of venues and events where the public has access, including entertainment venues, retail spaces, food and drink establishments, museums, sports grounds, and more.
- Standard Tier: This tier applies to premises with a capacity of 100-799 people.
- Enhanced Tier: This tier applies to venues and events with a capacity of 800 or more people.
Key Requirements:
- Risk Assessments: Duty holders must assess the potential vulnerabilities of their premises or events to terrorist attacks.
- Security Measures: Organisations may need to implement security measures like enhanced surveillance, physical barriers, or security personnel.
- Preparedness Planning: Developing and documenting comprehensive plans for responding to a terrorist incident is crucial.
What Can Businesses Do To Comply With Martyn’s Law?
Some simple measures that may be appropriate for most premises include:
- Clear evacuation routes and assembly points – ensuring they are signposted and waymarked appropriately – see our range of Fire Exit and Fire Assembly Point signs
- Adding visual reminders of security protocols and contacts to improve awareness and encourage reporting of anything suspicious – see our range of Security Awareness Posters
- Adopting security measures and signposting appropriately to inform those on site – such as CCTV (which legally must be properly signposted), establishing bag check areas and more – see our range of CCTV and Security Signs
Our range of signs and posters have been designed so organisations of all types can demonstrate compliance with Martyn’s Law by doing the simple, affordable and attainable things right.
Even if your business or establishment does not fall under the need to comply with Martyn’s Law, implementing any of these measures demonstrates good security practice under existing Home Office guidance.
Security Signs
Security measures that public premises may need to consider should be signposted to help ensure anyone on site is properly informed. Our range of signs has been developed to help businesses clearly indicate security measures as part of their obligations under Martyn’s Law.
Some of the security measures, which premises may need to implement and properly signpost, include:
- CCTV Systems – must legally be signposted as per data protection laws
- Bag Checking Areas and Procedures
- Security Zones or Checkpoints
- Restricted Areas
- Metal Detectors
- Reminders of security behaviour and advising of reporting points.
Security Awareness Posters
Martyn’s Law requires public premises to take and demonstrate proportionate measures to address security risks. Our range of posters provide a simple, affordable and proactive step to improving safety awareness on your premises as part of Counter Terror guidance from ProtectUK, National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NACTSO).
Bold designs promote security awareness and encourage the public to report any suspicious behaviour. They include write-on areas for you to easily add contact or location details of security staff.
The current UK threat level is ‘Substantial’ – meaning an attack is likely. Official guidance states “Posters are both useful reminders of key security principles for all staff and also promote a good security culture in your organisation that will deter someone intending to cause harm from seeing you as an easy target.”
