Newcastle mum of spiked daughter speaks out over spiking fears
Women across the country have reported being spiked by injection
Police around the country are investigating reports of people being spiked with needles while on nights out, following 12 reports nationwide.
This has sparked concerns amongst parents particularly Claire Barber, who's daughter was spiked 10 years ago while out with her friends.
The Newcastle mother said: "This is something as a parent you don't forget. Waking up in the middle of the night, going out on the landing and seeing your teenager lying there, completely out of it. You just know instinctively it's not normal.
"It's terrifying. I wouldn't want to have a child at the moment who is at that age going to a nightclub. That, for me, would be terrifying.
"She has no memory of it, even now. Obviously we haven't talked about it for a long time, but it's not something you ever forget. I can still see her now. It was shocking really.
"They literally spent several hours trying to bring her around. They could not work out what it was. It didn't even occur to me that she'd had her drink spiked, or even them because at that time it wasn't very prevalent."
A questionable response
People across the North East have criticised Durham Universities response to reports of spiking in the area, accusing the university of victim-blaming students.
A now-deleted tweet from Durham University Student Wellbeing told students ‘don’t get spiked’ when they go to nightclubs.
The student wellbeing account posted advice on Twitter which said drink spiking ‘is something you can prevent from happening to you and your friends’.
The tweet urged people to contact police after a suspected case, so it can be investigated and others can be protected.
Seun Twins, President of Durham Students' Union, tweeted that the Universities 'lazy and dangerous message was 'focused on blaming victims'.
Change is being demanded
A petition calling for more thorough searching in nightclubs has reached 160,000 signatures over concerns that women are regularly being spiked.
Girls in cities across the UK are reporting instances of being physically spiked via injection when on nights out.
The petition, which will be considered for debate in Parliament, asks the UK Government to make it a law that "nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment."
Growing concern
Reports of women being spiked with a needle on nights out have risen in the past few weeks, with some victims sharing images on social media where they were injected.
Some women have reported feeling a sharp scratch or prick of a needle when they were spiked, while others have said they experienced memory loss.
The case in Nottingham
Nottingham is one of the first areas where women began reporting cases of being spiked via injection.
Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the issue, and say they have a team of officers carrying out CCTV enquiries at venues where they have received reports.
Superintendent Kathryn Craner, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are currently investigating reports of individuals suspecting that their drinks have been spiked.
"Linked to this a small number of victims have said that they may have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. Consequently, we are actively investigating all these reports.
“We do not believe that these are targeted incidents; they are distinctly different from anything we have seen previously as victims have disclosed a physical scratch type sensation before feeling very unwell. This is subtly different from feelings of intoxication through alcohol according to some victims.
A 20-year-old man was arrested in Nottingham on Saturday 16 October on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs and to administer poison with intent to injure, but has since been bailed with conditions.
Police say the arrest comes as part of their "ongoing investigations into alleged spiking reports in the city" and that they are treating the spiking incidents "very seriously".
Boycotting clubs
Girls Night In is a campaign created in Edinburgh which focuses on the growing petition for more thorough searching at nightclubs, and aims to provide support for victims of spiking.
Students then set up a Girls Night In group in Nottingham - since then, 25 universities across the UK have made accounts which are promoting a campaign to boycott nightclubs in their local areas.
A statement from Nottingham's Girls Night In group, which has over 10,000 Instagram followers, said: "Our purpose is to raise awareness and encourage testimonies so people can come to our page and resonate with the truths of others.
"The response from individuals in Nottingham has been astounding, and the amount of testimonies we have received really sheds some light on how big an issue it is.
"Furthermore, a club boycott was planned on a popular student night with the idea that everyone, for one night, should avoid these clubs, as a statement to them to show the power we hold and the influence we have.
"The aim is to make clubs take effective action to prevent variants of spiking happening within their venues and most importantly enforce changes. We believe that by raising awareness of the dangers of spiking we hope to break the stigma surrounding ‘Girls just getting too drunk.'"
The majority of Girls Night In boycotts intend to take place on Wednesday 27th October, where students at universities across the country will refrain from visiting bars and clubs.