Martyn’s Law (The Terrorism, Protection of Premises Act 2025) is coming. For premises where it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people to be present, the person or organisation controlling the premises will generally need to consider how people would be protected if a terrorist attack occurred. That means having appropriate procedures covering matters such as evacuation, moving people to safer areas, lockdown/evacuation and communicating information to people on site.
Modern threats have evolved. The rapid proliferation of drones creates a new question for venue operators:
What happens when the threat comes from the air?
A small flying drone can cross a traditional security perimeter in seconds. And in a crowded civilian environment, simply detecting it may not be enough. The response itself also needs to be proportionate, controlled and appropriate for the people and infrastructure below.
Martyn’s Law does not specifically require counter-drone technology. But as organisations review their vulnerabilities and protective-security arrangements, aerial threats increasingly deserve a place in that assessment.
At ABBS we have developed a low collateral drone capture effector, allowing the threat to be captured and taken away for forensic analysis. It is currently being assessed for use around critical national infrastructure and other sites where UAVs are increasingly becoming an issue, such as delivery of contraband into prisons.