Women boycott bars and clubs across Cornwall and Devon over drink spiking
"Girls Night In" protests are taking place across the country, including in Falmouth
Women are boycotting bars and clubs across Cornwall and Devon on Wednesday night, to raise awareness about the issue of drink spiking.
"Girls Night In" protests are taking place nationwide, including in Falmouth, Plymouth, Bath, Bristol and Cheltenham, amid a rise in reported incidents across the country.
Devon and Cornwall Police are currently investigating reports that a woman suffered a needle attack on a night out in Exeter, with similar investigations underway in Edinburgh and Leeds.
The "Girls Night In" boycott aims to raise awareness of the issue of drink spiking, by people staying at home.
Posting on Instagram, @girlsnightin.exeter.falmouth said: "This is not just about girls being the victims, but also guys and people of all genders. This boycott aims to create conversation and put forward ideas from the community about how best to keep everyone safe. We want to work with the local universities and bars/clubs to better protect".
Leading members of the night-time economy across the South West say they are surprised by plans to boycott some bars and clubs, saying venues are constantly enhancing safety measures.
Catherine Macdonald, regional coordinator of Best Bar None in the South West, said: "Be rest assured if you're heading to a venue with a Best Bar None logo there you've got staff who are trained, they know how to look after you.
"They're aware of safeguarding and vulnerability and they can take care of you when you're in that venue if something happens or you;re concerned about something.
"If you're going to a private party and you're with people there where you might not necessarily know everybody you don't have that person that can take care of you - or take charge of that situation and look after you".
Plymouth introduced a first-of-its-kind testing scheme in 2019, where venues could tell customers if a drink was safe within minutes.
It has since been rolled out across the region, with venues also increasing searching, staff training and other precautions to keep customers safe.
Catherine Macdonald added: "They've all got their spiking kits within their venues they can test drinks so they're not just waiting for an allegation to take place they're actually using those kits to randomly test drinks that maybe have been left unattended just to make sure - and be extra vigilant".
The "Girls Night In" evening of action will take place on Wednesday 27th October.