Manchester Arena victim’s mother begins walk to Downing Street to demand new law

Figen Murray, mother of Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett has begun a 200-mile walk from the venue to Downing Street to demand the introduction of stronger protections against terrorism in public places.

She has been the driving force behind Martyn’s Law, also known as the Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill, which asks for venues to provide staff with freely available counter-terrorism training, carry out risk assessments inside and outside of their premises, mitigate any risks identified during this process and have a counter-terrorism action plan.

“I am incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received and the kind offers to help make this a success. Over the 16 days I will be joined by my family and friends, as well as the amazing people I’ve met across the security industry.”

Figen Murray.

On the final day, Wednesday 22 May 2024, Figen is encouraging people to come along and join the last section at Marble Arch at 9am, as she walks to 10 Downing Street. The Emergency Services Times team will be joining from Marble Arch to support Figen.

“As I recently said when I announced that I’d be doing this walk, it’s about time Martyn’s Law was introduced to parliament so that it can become UK legislation. This isn’t party political. It is about doing the right thing to make businesses and venues more secure, and to ensure that no parent has to experience the pain I endure daily.”

Figen Murray spoke to Catherine Levin, Editor of Emergency Services Times about her journey from therapist to campaigner and her drive to make sure that staff in venues like the Manchester Arena can better respond when the worst happens. Read the full article here.

You can also read more on the latest campaign update here where Nick Aldworth recently spoke at The Security Event 2024.