A NATIONAL review of event security should be launched by the government, the mayor of Greater Manchester has said.

Following calls from families of the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, Andy Burnham has outlined his support of "Martyn’s Law".

Named after Martyn Hett – and spearheaded by his mum, Figen Murray – the campaign calls for mandatory security checks at public venues.

“I strongly believe that if we pay for tickets, sometimes really expensive tickets, the very least we can expect is that event organisers keep us safe. It should go without saying,” she said.

Mr Burnham added there was a "very strong" case for a government-led review and pledged a "relentless focus" on policy reforms identified in the aftermath of the atrocity.

The mayor was speaking on Thursday, providing an update on how the city-region’s authorities are implementing recommendations made in the Kerslake Report, set up after the attack to assess the response of the emergency services.

He said: “I remain immensely proud of the way Greater Manchester came together on the night and in the days afterwards and stood up to a brutal test.

“There is so much in the Kerslake Report that recognises the strength and resilience of GM and its public bodies. But, it was right to take an honest look at what happened so we can learn the lessons that needed to be learned.

“I am confident today we are even stronger going forward.”

Mr Burnham highlighted that work to implement all the recommendations in the report is underway.

And significant progress has been made in improving communication and information sharing between the emergency services.

But the mayor did highlight "gaps" that needed to be addressed and he called on the government to resolve national issues with fire service unions in relation to protocols for "marauding firearm terrorist attacks".

“I want to point out that this does not mean that the fire service will not respond to a terrorist attack – they will,” he said, adding that there needed to be clarity on certain aspects of the guidelines.

He also referenced the report’s calls for updated media guidelines regarding the intrusion experienced by victims’ families.

There has been recognition from the Independent Press Standards Organisation that guidance for the industry should be reviewed, he added.

But he remains "sceptical" that the extra guidance and training proposed  goes far enough "to prevent a repeat of what happened".

“As I have said before, there was much responsible reporting, particularly from our regional media, but it is clear that the industry as a whole still has issues to address,” the mayor added.

In regard to the campaign for a national review of security at public events, the mayor said discussions had taken place with security minister Ben Wallace, but now is the time for progress.

Mr Burnham added: “At present, security arrangements are essentially voluntary and this can lead to confusion and variation.

“We need to have clear minimum and mandatory standards at all venues so there is clarity for operators, and confidence for the public.”

A petition launched by Ms Murray to make safety checks obligatory has received more than 10,000 signatures.

She said: “Up and down the country I’ve had lots and lots of people telling me tales of really good practices, showing it can be done. But there’s been examples of really bad practices and that worries me.

“I’m astounded that the public seem to be security blind, they send their children and go themselves to venues and they don’t give a thought to their own security, they just go in and support themselves.

“That’s what Martyn and the others did and look what happened. It just took one individual to destroy the lives of 22 families.”

City-region mental health trusts have developed a joint response plan to help those who experience trauma, deputy mayor for GM Beverley Hughes added.

She said: “Clearly, there is still much work to do, but that’s only to be expected due to the thoroughness of the report.

“The crucial thing is that it is evident that in all areas where Lord Kerslake called for improvement, those improvements have either happened or are underway.

“We will continue to monitor closely the progress of all the recommendations to ensure they are implemented in full.

“My hope is that our systems of improvement become a gold-standard on an international level, assisting other agencies across the country and beyond when preparing for and training to respond to any future incidents of a similar nature.”