What The “Run, Hide, Tell” Guidance Means For Your Venue Under Martyn’s Law

As the current guidance from ProtectUK and the Counter Terrorism Police on how to respond in the event of a terror attack, “Run, Hide, Tell” is set to play a central role as Martyn’s Law continues its rollout into 2027. While the two exist separately, there’s quite a substantial overlap, and both work in harmony to keep the public protected and events safe. 

As the official counter-terrorism guidance from the Counter Terrorism Police, “Run, Hide, Tell” sits at the centre of Martyn’s Law compliance for every venue in scope. The two frameworks overlap significantly, and how your venue implements one will shape how you approach the other. Here’s what it means in practice. 

What Is The “Run, Hide, Tell” Guidance?

The “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance is the current advice issued by the Counter Terrorism Police in conjunction with ProtectUK and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO). 

It follows a simple, three-step process that anyone can follow in the unlikely event of an armed or “marauding” terror attack: Run to safety if you can, Hide if you’re not able to Run, and Tell the Police immediately by telephoning 999. 

First introduced in 2017 by the Metropolitan Police Service, the guidance has since become widely accepted by national police forces and overarching governmental branches (like the NaCTSO). It’s both simple enough to be widely understood, but it’s been proven to be an effective initiative in real-world scenarios.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown from ProtectUK.

Run

You should escape if you can – running to safety is your best option. As part of Martyn’s Law, venues need to offer a route to safety, but it’s important to ensure you consider the safest options and run if there is a safe path to do so. 

You should be able to get there without exposing yourself to greater danger (particularly important in an attack where weapons are involved), leaving all of your belongings behind to ensure that you’re not slowed down. You should try to get others to go with you, but don’t allow their hesitation to slow you down.

Even if you think it will help, do not film the incident, as this will slow you down and potentially put you in unnecessary danger.

Hide

While escaping is your best option, you should hide if you’re unable to run away. Try to do this by locking yourself in a room that has solid walls, barricading the entrance to the room, and moving away from the door. 

The cover you use should be able to withstand threats like a knife attack (the most common form of terror attack in the UK) and, if possible, gunfire. You may also need to use a hiding place that places you out of sight of the attacker, such as under a desk or behind a piece of furniture.

Try to stay as quiet as possible, setting your phone to silent and turning off vibrate. Avoid unnecessary noise or movement as much as you can. 

Stay hidden until you’re rescued, which can take some time depending on the scale and severity of the attack.

Tell

When it’s completely safe to do so (you can’t hear or see any attackers, for example), telephone 999 and report what’s happening. Be as specific as possible, telling the operator:

• Where you are, including an address if you know it
• What’s happening
• Where the attackers are and what direction they were going in
• Information about the attackers, including what they look like, what they’re using, and any distinguishing features (like tattoos or specific items of clothing)
• Any further information you can provide – have there been any injuries? Have the attackers blocked any entrances? Are there any hostages?

If you’re able to do so safely and without putting yourself or others in danger, stop other people from entering the building. This may not be possible if you’re hiding, but if you’ve managed to get to safety, you should let others know that it’s not safe to enter.

How Does “Run, Hide, Tell” Fit Into Martyn’s Law & My Venue?

As the official Counter Terrorism Police guidance, “Run, Hide, Tell” forms a crucial part of the implementation of Martyn’s Law. It ensures that counter-terror strategies are both easy enough to implement and effective enough to still save lives, and that it’s adaptable enough to suit the full remit of venues that the Law applies to.

One of the most important areas where “Run, Hide, Tell” intersects with the Act is in the key stipulations of Martyn’s Law training. As an overview, the Law introduces two tiers of premises – the Standard Tier and the Enhanced Tier. These bring with them unique requirements and different ways in which the “Run, Hide, Tell” must be implemented.

While there are no “hard and fast” requirements for specific training measures, we’ve compiled key pointers your venue will need to follow.

Standard Tier Venues

For venues in the Standard tier (those with a capacity of fewer than 800 guests), an awareness of this being the current guidance from Action Counter Terrorism (ACT) and how it can be applied to your venue is sufficient. This will often fall to the Responsible Person at the venue, but other staff might also need to be aware of it.

A good example of this may be a small town theatre with limited seating space. While the Responsible Person will naturally have the bulk of any training in “Run, Hide, Tell”, it may also be worth front-of-house staff or volunteers knowing safe escape routes, possible safe spaces if hiding is needed, and any mitigating circumstances that might need to be considered (such as disabled seating).

For these kinds of venues, it may also be beneficial to have posters or signs posted for staff on how the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance works in practice. These are issued through the official ProtectUK guidance on marauding terrorist attacks as a printable resource.

At venues where there’s more of a risk for its patrons, but that still fall into the Standard tier (a city-centre grassroots music venue, for instance), further training exercises might be needed. As per the Law, these should be specific to, and appropriate for, the venue, and determined by the Responsible Person.

This could take the form of structured exercises (like drills, where a mock evacuation needs to take place) or training sessions delivered by the Responsible Person. There’s also the option to enrol on ProtectUK’s free Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) course, which offers a more in-depth view of the current terror threat level and how venue owners and staff can respond.

Enhanced Tier Venues

For venues that fall into the Enhanced tier (those with a capacity of above 800 people), there naturally needs to be more comprehensive plans in place for how to mitigate the threat of terror attacks, and how to respond should the worst happen. These need to be specific to your venue, as per the statutory guidance set out by the Act.

These venues – given their scope and capacity, as well as often being some of the more well-known areas of a city or town – are naturally in a more pronounced risk category. Here, “Run, Hide, Tell” is absolutely pivotal, and should play a role in all the training, expertise, and understanding that the Responsible Person (or People) for these venues receive.

For instance, a shopping centre is likely to fall into the Enhanced tier. Per the official definition under the Law, they’re likely to see more than 800 people in the centre at any one time (even if those attendance figures dip during the week or over periods of closure like Easter or Christmas).

For premises like these, there’s likely to be multiple areas where “Run, Hide, Tell” has its own applications. Those might include:

• Shopping galleries or retail hubs. In areas with a large group of shops or particularly popular retailers, there may need to be an appointed point of contact to coordinate “Run, Hide, Tell” in that section of the centre. They’ll need to deliver or source appropriate training for store managers and coordinate with the shopping centre’s management team to ensure consistency with the building’s wider Martyn’s Law strategies.
• Food service areas. A food court or service area presents a different set of challenges, but the approach should be consistent in how your premises addresses the stipulations set out by Martyn’s Law. As there’s likely to be a more “static” presence in this area, the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance should be communicable easily, and we’d recommend that all senior staff (as well as key staff members who work later shifts, or unsociable hours) are familiar with the Law and its intertwining with the guidance to ensure it can be most effectively implemented.
• Entrances, exits, and access points. While not likely to be an area that sees a concentrated static gathering, it’s essential in determining those safe escape routes that underpin the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance. If you’ve got reception or greeting staff (as may be the case with higher-end shopping centres), they should have intimate familiarity with the principles and how they can play a role in ensuring a smooth evacuation.
• Support or specialist facilities. An additional consideration for venues that offer additional services (a cinema, for instance, or prayer rooms), the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance needs to be something that’s applied throughout the building on a consistent basis. Here, late-night facilities – cinemas or nightlife venues – will also need a point of contact for the guidance and for the implementation of the venue’s wider Martyn’s Law strategies.

This can all be facilitated through larger-scale training sessions, real-world scenario-based simulations, and online seminars like the official courses issued by ProtectUK. There’ll need to be multiple points of contact who understand the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance and its intersection with Martyn’s Law, alongside the overall Responsible Person.

We’d also recommend having posters and resources at regular intervals throughout any staff areas. These not only serve as a way to reinforce training that’s already taken place, but also as a reminder of what to do even in unprecedented circumstances.

What Should Your Security Personnel Know About “Run, Hide, Tell”?

Security officers receive detailed training in the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance as part of their SIA licensing process – The SIA updated these licensing requirements as recently as 2021, in response to the growing impetus behind Martyn’s Law.

As part of their site-specific training (issued before they start), they’ll understand how to adapt those principles to your premises. While “Run, Hide, Tell” is designed to be as simple to implement as possible, your operatives must understand where the escape routes are, where people can hide safely, and what the wider counter-terrorism infrastructure involves for your venue.

You may also be able to lean on your security provider and personnel for their expertise. With ProFM Group, for example, we’ve been major advocates for the implementation of further counter-terrorism training as part of the licensing process, and our Operational structure is fully up to speed on the latest changes to the field of professional security.

We’ve completed company-wide ACT training, too, so that approach is from the top down, and ensures that we’re able to cascade the right information to any officer, supervisor or member of the Operational team. It’s part of preparing for a safer, more sustainable future in our sector – Martyn’s Law is an integral part of ensuring that, and futureproofing our venues.

From our National Operations Centre (NOC), which offers 24/7 oversight of all our sites and personnel, to fully documented procedures to ensure that you’ve got everything you need to stay safe and compliant, ProFM Group’s all-encompassing approach to the “Run, Hide, Tell” guidance (and wider Martyn’s Law compliance) positions us as your venue’s ideal choice.

Your legal compliance and guest safety can’t – and shouldn’t – wait. Get in touch with our in-house, ACT-compliant experts today to discuss your venue’s specifics, what the next steps for Martyn’s Law are, and how we can support you long into the future.