Four in ten people now fear for their safety at public events like music concerts and Christmas markets, in the wake of recent terror attacks, new research has found.
A report conducted by ATG Access, found that these worries are so high for some people that it’s preventing them from attending public events all together. 29% of the public said they now won’t go to large events taking place in the UK, due to concerns around the levels of security in place.
Two fifths (41%) of people also said they now won’t attend events if they think they will be over crowded, through fear that it would be harder to leave if an incident was to happen.
Residents in London and the West Midlands are most worried about event safety, with 46% of people in each region expressing this concern. This is also echoed in the North West (42%) – where attacks have recently taken place – and in Northern Ireland (41%) and Scotland (37%). Concerns around overcrowding are at the highest in the East Midlands (57%), followed by London (46%), the South East (46%), Wales (44%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (40%).
The study was conducted as part of ATG Access’ ‘Protecting the future of multifunctional cities’ report, which looks at how cities in the UK are being transformed into bustling multi-functional spaces, and the obstacles that are preventing public events from taking place.
Gavin Hepburn of ATG Access, said: “While there are numerous benefits to hosting events, there are of course some concerns that need addressing. Unfortunately, the worries around security come as little surprise given the increased number of terrorist attacks we have seen on our streets over recent years, with busy areas and tourist attractions often becoming the targets. Reservations around overcrowding are also connected to this, due to the increased difficulties of monitoring hundreds if not thousands of people in one busy area at the same time.”
