Christmas markets, office parties, pantomimes and New Year’s Eve events bring some of the biggest crowds of the year to venues across Devon. With the UK terrorism threat level at severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, it is a good time to think about how your venue or event would respond if the worst happened.
It is also the last festive season before Martyn’s Law is expected to come into force.
Where Martyn’s Law stands
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn’s Law, became law on 3 April 2025. There is an implementation period of at least 24 months, and the duties are expected to come into force in spring 2027. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will regulate it.
- Standard tier: premises where 200 to 799 people could be present at the same time. These will need procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
- Enhanced tier: premises and qualifying events where 800 or more people could be present. These will also need measures for monitoring, movement control, physical security and security of information, and must document them.
For more detail, read our guide to what Martyn’s Law means for venues and events.
Use this Christmas as a practice run
The festive season is when your venue is busiest, which makes it the best time to see whether your plans would work in practice. Five things to do before December:
- Work out your capacity. How many people could be on your premises at the same time on your busiest night? That tells you which tier you are likely to fall into.
- Write down your procedures. Keep it simple: how you would get people out, how you would move them to a safer place inside, how you would lock down and how you would warn everyone.
- Brief your team. Make sure bar staff, managers and door supervisors know the procedures and their role in them.
- Encourage vigilance. Counter Terrorism Policing runs a winter campaign asking the public and staff to trust their instincts and report anything that feels wrong.
- Practise. A quick walk-through during a quiet shift will show up gaps before a busy night does.
The role of your door team
Door supervisors are often the first and last people your customers see. Visible searches, controlled entry, watching for suspicious behaviour and knowing exactly what to do in an emergency are all part of the job. Our officers are briefed on each venue before they start, and every incident is recorded digitally, which helps you show what you have in place.
Get our free checklist
Our Martyn’s Law readiness checklist sets out what standard and enhanced tier premises need to have in place, in two pages. If you would like help with door supervision or event security this festive season, request a free quote.