Issued yesterday (Wednesday 15 April), the Home Office said the measures offer guidance and examples to help those responsible under the legislation, enabling major venues and events to better protect the public from terrorism.
The legislation is known as Martyn’s Law in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
The bill was introduced to parliament in September 2025 and received Royal Assent in April last year.
It will come into effect after an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, giving organisations time to understand their new obligations and prepare.
Below, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has broken down the guidance for pub operators.
Tiered approach
Martyn’s Law has a tiered approach based on the capacity of venues with all required to carry out Public Protection Procedures.
These are:
Standard tier - venues reasonably expected to house 200 to 799 individuals.
Simple procedures to reduce the risk of physical harm to those present are required.
These would normally include evacuation, invacuation, lock down and communication procedures.
Staff must be made aware of the procedures so they can be ready to put them into practice. The procedures will also require review.
Enhanced tier - venues reasonably expected to have 800 people or more.
All of the same requirements in the Standard Tier as well as operators being required to ensure public protection measures are in place to reduce the vulnerability of the premises.
Who does the legislation apply to?
The Act applies to publicly accessible buildings or land and must fall within one of the Schedule 1 uses. These include:
- the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises
- entertainment and leisure activities
- the retail sale of goods
- hotels
- holiday parks
- sports grounds
- visitor attractions
- venues outside of hospitality also include healthcare, places of worship, childcare and educational establishments.
All UK premises that expect 200 or more people to be on site at any one time fall into this category.
The updated guidance sets out clear steps for businesses.
For smaller premises like shops and restaurants with 200-799 people, evacuation routes should be in place and staff should know how to swiftly implement a lockdown in the building, as well as communicate with customers were an attack to occur.
Larger premises and events like concerts and sports stadiums, where 800 or more people will be present, will be required to take further steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism – such as having CCTV, bag search policies, or vehicle checks where appropriate.
Case study
A case study for a 400-seater restaurant may look like the following example.
Evacuation: Such as one route through the main entrance that leads onto a public pavement and another through a side door that leads into a different area.
Invacuation: For example, bring individuals into the main restaurant area and, if needed, into a variety of staff areas.
Lockdown: This could require nominated individuals knowing when (i.e. when their shift manager instructs them to) and how to quickly lock doors, close window shutters and turn off lights.
Communication: This might be met by ensuring staff know who will enact procedures (shift manager) and planning how to communicate with customers present at the restaurant, were an attack to occur.
Training and awareness: Such as providing new members of staff with a short awareness briefing on the restaurant’s procedures at induction, alongside health and fire safety inputs.
Review: The procedures should be kept under appropriate review, for example annually or when there is any significant change in the restaurants set up .
As the regulator, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will support, advise and guide those responsible for premises and events in meeting the requirements of the legislation.
Commenting on the measures, Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO and SIA chair Michael Kill said: “The guidance for Martyn’s Law, marks an important step forward in strengthening the safety and resilience of public spaces across the UK.
“It provides a clear and proportionate framework to help venues better prepare for and respond to the evolving threat of terrorism.”
