Counter terrorism - Prevent, Protect and Prepare

Terrorism in the UK is rare, but the threat remains real and ever‑changing. The Government's Counter Terrorism Strategy is built around the 4 Ps: Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare. Together, these pillars aim to stop people becoming terrorists, disrupt terrorist activity, reduce vulnerabilities in public spaces, and ensure organisations are ready to respond and recover should an incident occur.

This page focuses on the Prevent, Protect and Prepare elements of the strategy, alongside key information on Martyn's Law and the Prevent safeguarding duty.

What is Prevent?

Prevent is the safeguarding strand of the UK's Counter Terrorism strategy. It aims to stop people becoming involved in terrorism by identifying risks early and providing support.

Prevent works with partners, including councils, schools, health services, and community groups, to protect vulnerable individuals and challenge extremist narratives in all their forms.

Read more about Prevent.

What is Protect?

Protect is about reducing the vulnerability of public spaces, buildings, and events to terrorism. It focuses on:

• strengthening physical security where needed
• improving planning and protective measures
• increasing awareness and vigilance among staff and the public
• ensuring organisations understand their responsibilities for keeping people safe

Good protective security doesn't have to be complicated. Often, simple actions, clear procedures, trained staff, and well‑planned layouts, can make a big difference.

What is Prepare?

Prepare is about ensuring organisations can respond effectively to a terrorist incident and recover quickly afterwards. This includes:

• emergency planning and incident response
• business continuity arrangements
• clear communication plans
• ensuring staff know what to do during evacuation, invacuation, or lockdown

Being prepared saves lives. It also helps organisations restore operations, support their staff, and maintain public confidence after an incident.

Read more about Prepare

Martyn's Law (Protection of Premises Act 2025)

Martyn's Law, also known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, is new legislation designed to improve public safety at venues and events across the UK.

Why it exists

Martyn's Law was created in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, following the campaign led by Figen Murray, mother of Martyn Hett. Its purpose is to ensure consistent, proportionate security measures are in place wherever large numbers of people gather.

Who it applies to

The law applies to a wide range of public premises and events, including entertainment venues, community buildings, places of worship, and licensed premises. Requirements are based on venue capacity, with a standard tier for smaller premises and an enhanced tier for high‑capacity sites.

What organisations should be doing now

Although the legislation is in its implementation period, organisations are encouraged to start preparing by:

• understanding whether they fall within scope
• reviewing their security procedures
• training staff in awareness and emergency response
• developing or updating evacuation, lockdown, and communication plans

Read more about Martyn's Law