South West students to take part in national nightclub boycott
They're calling for more action to tackle drink spiking after a rise in incidents
University students across the country are planning to boycott nightclubs next week in protest at a rise in spiking incidents.
Police investigations are underway in Edinburgh and Leeds after girls reported being injected on nights out, while there was also an incident in Bristol last month when an alleged spiking was caught on camera.
In response a parliamentary petition calling for more thorough searches upon entry at clubs has been signed more than 131,000 times.
Alice Rooney runs the Girls Night In campaign group in Bristol, which is calling on students to boycott their traditional sports club's night out on Wednesday October 27.
Other boycotts are planned in Bath and Exeter in the South West and at dozens of other universities across the United Kingdom.
"It is more scary going out as girls because yes you take responsibility, cover up your drinks and get your friends to look after you but, knowing that there should be clubs and other staff looking out for you more would be helpful," Alice told us.
"So that's kind of why we started it.
"The boycott on the clubs isn't necessarily to endanger the club's business. It's more for them to have a bit more awareness and see this as a chance to get in contact with us and move together to create a better policy."
Alice tells me support for the idea in Bristol is gaining pace on a daily basis.
"I've had quite a few interactions with Lizard Lounge, the club in Bristol and how they're going to tackle it," she said.
"So they're wanting to arrange a night out with our society almost, so we're just trying to arrange the logistics of that.
"As well as updating their training for their club members, as well as, they wanted to order cup stoppers.
"They're like caps you put on your cups to prevent people putting things in your drinks."
She says they've had a lot of responses from university societies as well.
"I've been in contact with the man who runs Fishies, which is like the company who does the sports nights (on Wednesdays) and he's having a meeting with the owner of Gravity (nightclub) and other places in Bristol about how they can change their policy and hopefully be on board with this boycott on the Wednesday."
Alice says she has asked sports clubs to make other places on Wednesday that don't involve drinking or going out.
In a joint statement, the University of Bristol and Bristol Students' Union have called the reported increase in spiking incidents "incredibly disturbing".
“We stand together in condemning such appalling behaviour," the statement reads.
"To be clear victims of drink spiking are not the ones at fault and our students should be able to enjoy themselves without fear.
“Drink spiking and its effects are extremely distressing and we regularly remind students of the dangers of drink spiking, not to leave their drinks unattended and to make sure, if they’re out on a night out, that they look out for each other.
“We have not been made aware of an increase in Bristol students reporting being spiked or of any incidents of spiking via injection but following these cases elsewhere we will be working together to produce more specific advice and information to raise awareness of these issues, what to do if it happens to one of your friends, and details of what support and advice the university can offer.”