Arena victim's mum's 200-mile walk to demand new law

The mother of a Manchester Arena attack victim has set off on a 200-mile (321km) trek to Downing Street to insist a law tightening security at public venues is introduced.

Figen Murray began her walk from the Manchester Arena, where her son Martyn Hett was killed in 2017 by suicide bomber Salman Abedi.

She said campaigners "cannot wait any longer" for Martyn's Law, which would require venues to have counter-terrorism measures.

A Home Office spokesman said the government was in the "final stages" of drafting the legislation.

Ms Murray said the changes, which would require counter-terrorism action plans, risk assessments and staff training at venue, were "very important" for public safety.

She told BBC Radio Manchester there had been "forty near misses" since 2017 where planned terror attacks were foiled.

"Sooner or later one of those won’t be stopped, and families will suffer in the way we suffered."

The campaigner plans to visit the sites of terror attacks including The Glade of Light in Manchester, and the 7/7 Memorial in London, before arriving in London on 22 May, the seventh anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack.

Martyn's Hett friends Russell Hayward and Mikey Keating are among the people joining Ms Murray for parts of the walk.

Mr Hayward said the aim was to "publicly shame the government" into taking action, while Mr Keating said the proposals were "very much common sense".

The government was "committed" to bringing in Martyn's Law "as soon as possible", the Home Office spokesman said.

Concerns have been raised about the impact of the law on smaller businesses.

Ms Murray said the proposed measures would be proportional to the size of a venue.

"We've always said it’s not punitive, it’s common sense," she said.

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