{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What security systems does Martyn's Law require?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Martyn's Law (the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) does not prescribe specific products, but Enhanced tier venues — those with a capacity of 800 or more — must implement security measures that are 'reasonably practicable' to reduce vulnerability to a terrorist attack. In practice, this means that stadium and venue operators are expected to have documented and operational security systems across key categories: comprehensive CCTV coverage of all public areas, entry/exit points, and the perimeter; controlled access management with the ability to rapidly restrict or lock down zones; intrusion detection covering restricted and backstage areas; a public address or mass notification system capable of issuing evacuation and lockdown instructions to the entire venue; and people counting or occupancy monitoring to support safe management of crowds. All of these systems must be underpinned by a formal risk assessment, a written and implemented security plan, and ongoing review. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will assess whether the measures in place are proportionate to the size and risk profile of the venue." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does a unified security platform help with stadium compliance?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A unified security platform consolidates video management, access control, intrusion detection, analytics, and system health monitoring into a single interface and a single, auditable log. For Martyn's Law compliance, this has several direct benefits. First, it creates a centralised audit trail: every system event — camera fault, access attempt, alarm activation, operator action — is time-stamped and searchable, making it straightforward to produce evidence for the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Second, it enables compliance-ready reporting: operators can generate structured reports on camera uptime, incident frequency, and response times that map directly to the documentation requirements of an Enhanced duty security plan. Third, automated health monitoring means that camera failures or coverage gaps are flagged in real time rather than discovered during an audit or, worse, an incident. Fourth, unified incident playback allows security teams to reconstruct events across video, access, and alarm data on a single timeline — which is essential for post-incident review and evidence submission. Platforms such as Wavestore WaveFusion are designed to integrate with hardware from multiple manufacturers, meaning the unified log captures the entire security estate rather than just devices from a single vendor." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When does Martyn's Law come into force in the UK?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. However, the law will not be enforced immediately. There is a lead-in period of at least 24 months before enforcement begins, giving venues approximately two years from Royal Assent — meaning enforcement is not expected before April 2027. During this period, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) must publish its official guidance and establish its regulatory function. Venues are strongly advised to use this lead-in period to conduct their risk assessments, develop their security plans, and implement the necessary security system improvements, rather than waiting until the enforcement deadline approaches." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Martyn's Law apply to football stadiums?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Football stadiums fall squarely within the scope of Martyn's Law as Enhanced duty premises. Any stadium where it is reasonable to expect 800 or more individuals to be present at the same time will be subject to the Enhanced tier requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. This means the club or venue operator must complete a formal risk assessment, develop and implement a security plan, and maintain security measures that are reasonably practicable to reduce vulnerability to a terrorist attack. For most professional and semi-professional football grounds in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, this will apply. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be the enforcement body, with powers to issue compliance notices, monetary penalties, and restriction notices for non-compliance." } } ] }

Martyn's Law Stadium Compliance Checklist

Martyn's Law Stadium Compliance Checklist

Assess your venue security systems against the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 requirements.

Enhanced Tier · 800+ Capacity Venues · 2026

This checklist is structured around the Enhanced tier requirements of Martyn's Law, which apply to stadiums and venues where 800 or more individuals may reasonably be expected. Items marked S apply to Standard tier (100+) as well.
Overall Compliance Progress 0 of 32 items complete
Standard Tier: 100–799 capacity Enhanced Tier: 800+ capacity
📋
Documentation & Security Planning
Risk assessment, preparedness plan, and governance
0/6
Written preparedness plan exists and is current (reviewed within 12 months)
Must describe how the venue would respond to a terrorist attack at or near the premises.
S
Formal risk assessment completed and documented
Enhanced tier requirement. Must evaluate terrorist threat likelihood and potential consequences specific to the venue.
E
Security plan is in place and implemented (not just written)
Enhanced tier requires both documentation and implementation of proportionate security measures.
E
Named Responsible Person (RP) designated for Martyn's Law obligations
The Act requires a specific individual to hold legal responsibility for compliance.
S
SIA registration completed (when registration opens)
Enhanced duty premises will be required to register with the Security Industry Authority.
E
Security plan reviewed and updated following any significant incident or change to the venue
Plans should be living documents, not one-off exercises.
E
⚠️ You have incomplete items in this section. Documentation gaps are the most common cause of SIA compliance failures.
📹
CCTV & Video Surveillance
Coverage, quality, retention, and system health
0/7
CCTV covers all entry and exit points, concourses, and public areas
No significant coverage gaps across the entire spectator footprint.
E
Footage is recorded and retained for a minimum of 31 days
Retention periods should align with your security plan and any guidance from your local police liaison.
S
Camera health is monitored automatically — faults trigger real-time alerts
Manual camera checks are not sufficient for large-scale venues. Automated health monitoring (e.g. Wavestore HealthMonitor) is recommended.
E
Footage export process is defined and can be fulfilled within 24 hours of a request
Police and SIA requests for footage must be fulfilled promptly. Test your export workflow.
E
VMS provides unified management of all cameras across the venue (single interface)
Fragmented systems with multiple interfaces increase operator error risk and complicate audits.
E
Perimeter and car park areas are covered
Threats frequently originate outside the main building. External coverage is essential for Enhanced tier venues.
E
CCTV system is encrypted and access-controlled (cybersecurity compliance)
Insecure camera systems represent a vulnerability. Ensure login credentials are managed and network access is controlled.
E
⚠️ CCTV coverage gaps are a primary audit risk. A unified VMS with automated health monitoring is the most effective mitigation.
🔐
Access Control
Entry management, zone restrictions, and lockdown capability
0/5
All public entry points have controlled access with the ability to close rapidly
Gate management systems must support rapid lockdown, not just routine ticket checking.
S
Restricted areas (media, operations, plant rooms) have separate access control with audit logs
Zone-level access control with logged entry events supports both security management and audit evidence.
E
Access control is integrated with CCTV — entry events trigger video association
Integration enables operators to visually verify access events in real time rather than reviewing logs retrospectively.
E
Vehicle access to the venue footprint is controlled and monitored
Vehicle-borne threats are a primary stadium risk. Barrier control and ANPR should be documented in the security plan.
E
Lockdown procedure is documented and operationally tested within 12 months
A written lockdown plan that has never been exercised will not satisfy SIA scrutiny.
E
⚠️ Unintegrated access control is a common gap. Consider integrating access logs into your central VMS for a unified audit trail.
📢
Evacuation, Communications & Staff Readiness
Emergency procedures, PA systems, and training
0/7
Evacuation, invacuation, and lockdown plans are documented for all scenarios
Separate plans for each response type (move out, move in, stay still) are required by ProtectUK guidance.
S
PA/mass notification system covers all areas of the venue including toilets and concessions
Partial PA coverage is a known life-safety risk. Test coverage maps against seating bowl plans.
E
All public-facing staff have received CT awareness training (e.g. ACT Awareness e-learning)
The Act expects that staff at Enhanced venues are trained to identify and report suspicious behaviour.
S
Plans account for vulnerable visitors and provide designated marshals
Evacuation plans must include provisions for wheelchair users, those with hidden disabilities, and unaccompanied children.
E
Emergency assembly points reviewed and communicated to all staff annually
Assembly points should be reviewed for adequacy at capacity events, not just routine operations.
S
Live full-scale evacuation exercise conducted within 24 months
Tabletop exercises alone are not sufficient for Enhanced venues at this scale.
E
First aid resources are stocked and located based on expected crowd volumes
First aid provision must be proportionate to capacity and risk. Ensure locations are known to all stewards.
S
⚠️ Staff training records are frequently requested by auditors. Ensure CT awareness completion is logged and can be evidenced.
🖥️
Stadium Control Room & Audit Trail
Unified logging, incident management, and SIA audit readiness
0/7
All security systems feed into a single unified control room platform
CCTV, access control, intrusion, and analytics should be visible from one interface. Fragmented systems reduce response speed and complicate audits.
E
All system events are logged with timestamps and operator attribution
The audit log should capture: what happened, when, which system, which operator responded, and what action was taken.
E
Compliance reports (uptime, incident frequency, response times) can be generated on demand
The ability to produce structured reports quickly is essential for SIA audits and internal governance reviews.
E
Role-based access ensures compliance managers can review logs without full system access
Auditors and compliance officers should have read-only dashboards, not shared operator credentials.
E
Control room has redundancy — secondary failover in place if primary systems fail
Single points of failure in the control room are a critical risk at Enhanced venues. Document your resilience architecture.
E
Incident playback capability: video + access + alarm events on a single timeline
Post-incident review and evidence production require the ability to reconstruct events across all systems simultaneously.
E
Control room operators have received formal VMS and security systems training within 12 months
Untrained operators are a liability risk. Training records should be maintained and available to auditors.
E
⚠️ Disconnected control room systems are the most common stadium compliance gap. A unified platform like WaveFusion addresses this directly.

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