‘Acute and pressing’ need for Martyn’s Law

A barrister representing the relatives of the Manchester Arena victims has told the public inquiry into the attack that there was an ‘acute and pressing’ need for Martyn’s Law amid the continued terror threat in Britain.

Figen Murray, the mother of victim Martyn Hett, has been campaigning for legislation in his name that would require measures potentially including bag searches and scanners.

Families of the victims killed in the Manchester Arena bombing have called for the government to stop ‘dithering’ over the issue and guarantee minimum security protections at venues.

John Cooper QC said evidence on security on the night of the May 2017 bombing ‘served to tragically demonstrate that the current security regulatory regime has created an environment in which the UK’s biggest entertainment venue operators and security providers can fall far short of the standards of the time, with devastating results’.

Writing on Twitter, Figen Murray said that Martyn’s Law ‘has to happen sooner rather than later’ and said that they represent ‘a very common sense set of measures which quite frankly should exist’.

The inquiry has heard evidence of numerous ‘missed opportunities’ to prevent Salman Abedi detonating his bomb on 22 May 2017, from the CCTV blindspot he hid in for almost an hour to insufficient terror attack planning, poor staff training and inadequate police patrols.