Who was Martyn Hett and what is Martyn's Law?

Legislation aimed at preventing and reducing the harm of terror attacks at events venues has been given Royal Assent.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn's Law, requires venues with a capacity of 200 or more to have a plan in place in case of an attack on their premises.

Martyn's mother Figen Murray, who has led the campaign for the new law, has travelled to London for the final stage of the process.

Martyn was among 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017, which was carried out by Salman Abedi.

Martyn Hett was an Ariana Grande fan, who died during a terrorism attack at her concert in May 2017.

Martyn was in the foyer of the arena when the bomb was set off, with friends remembering him singing and laughing moments before.

His ex-boyfriend, Russell Hayward said Martyn "left the world exactly how he lived, the centre of attention". His friend Ian Pollitt also described him as being "such a big character" and "loved by everyone".

His mother, who has campaigned tirelessly for Martyn's Law, described her son as having "the most incredible passion for life" while his father Paul Hett described Martyn as an "amazing son".

Since his death, Martyn's mother and his friends, Mr Hayward and Mikey Keating, have also taken part in a 200-mile walk from the arena to Downing Street to insist Martyn's Law is introduced.

Martyn's Law requires staff at all UK venues with a capacity of more than 200 to undergo evacuation training, and sites with more than 800 people would need extra measures such as CCTV or security staff.

The campaign for Martyn's Law began in 2019 when Ms Murray created an online petition which gained more than 23,000 signatures.

Since then, Ms Murray has been regularly working with a team of co-campaigners to meet with government minsters to get Martyn's Law fully implemented.

Ms Murray has also completed a master's degree in counter-terrorism and visited schools to help educate young people about the dangers of radicalisation.

She was awarded an OBE in 2022 for her counter-terrorism work.

Her 200-mile walk to Downing Street in 2024 was a "final push" for the bill to be considered.

Ms Murray told BBC Radio Manchester at the time: "I need to be more visible.

"Somehow the government has not taken notice enough and that's why I'm doing the walk, out of desperation and a bit of frustration".

Martyn's Law is intended to ensure public places are better prepared for terrorist attacks. This will require them to take practical actions to reduce the risk of physical harm and the impact of a terrorist attack.

This will be done by mandating, for the first time, who is responsible for considering the risk from terrorism and how they would respond to a terrorist attack at certain premises and events.

Clear and simple guidance will be given to duty holders, ensuring everyone involved knows what to do and how to do it. The guidance will be easy to understand and require no special expertise.

A regulator will be set up to help enforce the rules. It will support, advise, and guide those responsible for premises and events to meet the requirements of this law.

Royal Assent is the last requirement needed before a parliamentary bill becomes law, where the Head of State, King Charles, has given Ms Murray's campaign formal approval for it to become law.

Speaking in parliament previously, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Martyn's Law has been a long time coming.

"This legislation will strengthen public safety, help protect staff and the public from terrorism and ensure we learn the lessons from the terrible Manchester Arena attack and the inquiry that followed."

After the law was given Royal Assent, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: "Today is a landmark moment for our security as my government delivers on its promise to introduce Martyn's Law and better protect the public from terrorism.

"Figen's courage and determination in the face of such unimaginable loss is truly humbling and it is thanks to her campaigning that Martyn's Law means her son's legacy will live on forever."

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