West Mercia Police reminding university students to stay safe and look after their drinks on nights out
Freshers events will be taking place across the country to mark the start of a new university year
West Mercia Police are reminding people the dangers of spiking, and how to stay safe from it on a night out.
It's as students across Herefordshire and Worcestershire make their way back to campus in the upcoming days and weeks, and take part in the annual freshers events.
PC Lydia Burrows is from the South Worcestershire team in the force, and she says it's important people know what to do if they are concerned when out.
"Everybody has the right to enjoy a night out," she said.
"We've all got a part to play in it, it could be something like people educating their friends to see if they've been made aware about it and what to look out for, because some of the the symptoms of spiking can actually be the same as having excess alcohol.
"It's just being aware to report any concerns just so people are safer, and throughout the year we've got schemes in place which can help, such as Ask for Angela, where anybody can go to a licenced premises and ask for help if they don't feel safe.
"We'd always say to people don't leave your drinks unattended, or try not to accept drinks from strangers, but having something like a plastic cover to put over your drink to keep it safe, it's just an extra preventative measure that allows you to to protect your drinks."
The force say they'll be working with the University of Worcester throughout the welcome back week for students, to educate them on the risks, and where they can go for help or advice.