Run, Hide, Tell: the official advice for a weapons attack

The protocol: Run, Hide, Tell

If you're ever caught up in a firearms or weapons attack, the UK's official public-safety advice is three words in priority order: Run, Hide, Tell. Run to a place of safety — the best option if it's safe to do so. Hide if you can't run. And Tell the police, by calling 999, when it's safe. It's personal advice specific to firearms and weapons attacks, and it has been part of UK public messaging since 2015.

The value of knowing it isn't to make you anxious — it's that having a simple, ordered plan means you're far less likely to freeze in the extremely unlikely event you ever need it.

Run

Escape if you can. Consider the safest options and whether there's a safe route to run — if there isn't, hide. Ask yourself whether you can get there without exposing yourself to greater danger.

Insist others leave with you, but don't let their indecision slow you down. Leave your belongings behind. And do not attempt to film the incident — getting yourself and others to safety comes first.

Hide

If you can't run, hide. Find cover that can withstand a knife attack or gunfire — remember that bullets can pass through glass, brick, wood and metal, so for cover from gunfire get behind a solid or heavy reinforced wall. If you can see the attacker, they may be able to see you.

Be aware of your exits and try not to get trapped. Lock and barricade yourself in, and move away from the door. Then be quiet: silence your phone and turn off vibrate, so a notification doesn't give away where you are.

Tell

When it's safe to do so, call the police on 999. Give them the nature of the incident — what is happening; the location, as precisely as you can; where the suspects are and their direction of travel; and descriptions of the attackers — how many, their features, clothing and weapons.

Then any further information you can: casualties, the type of injuries, details of the building, its entrances and exits, and whether there are hostages. Everything you can tell them helps the emergency response.

Spotting and reporting: the ACT campaign

Attacks are sometimes preceded by warning signs, which is what the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) campaign asks the public to notice and report. Trust your instincts and report suspicious activity or behaviour — potential planning signs include hostile reconnaissance, such as someone paying unusual attention to CCTV and security or photographing entrances and exits.

You can report something in confidence to the Counter Terrorism Policing hotline on 0800 789 321; in an emergency, always call 999. There's also free ACT Awareness e-Learning online if you'd like to understand it better. Reporting isn't about paranoia — it's the same instinct as reporting an unattended bag.

Martyn's Law — what's changing for public venues

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — known as Martyn's Law — received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It's named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing of 22 May 2017, following a long campaign led by his mother, Figen Murray OBE.

It introduces two tiers by capacity. The standard tier covers premises where 200–799 people may be present and requires simple, low-cost procedures — evacuation, moving people to safety, lockdown and communication — with no requirement for physical security measures. The enhanced tier covers premises and events for 800 or more, and additionally requires measures such as bag searches, CCTV or vehicle checks so far as is reasonably practicable, plus documentation. It's regulated by the Security Industry Authority, with an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent; the statutory guidance was published in April 2026.

For context, the UK uses five terrorism threat levels — low, moderate, substantial, severe and critical — set independently of ministers by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre. As of July 2026 the threat to the UK is assessed as substantial-to-severe and is kept under constant review; it's set by professionals precisely so the public doesn't have to track it.