Scarborough pub landlady 'almost died' from having her drink spiked
Our investigation has been looking into why so few cases end up in the hands of the Police
Last updated 6th Jul 2023
People on the Yorkshire Coast are being urged to stay vigilant in bars and pubs to avoid having their drinks spiked.
Research suggests 43 percent of women have been a victim - or know someone who has - but fewer than 1 in 10 called the police.
Tammy Goldstone-Smith owns The Ship on Falsgrave in Scarborough and The Whitby Way. She was a victim of spiking when she was in Warrington a few years ago and said: "I was ill for three days. I have a heart condition called AF. We knew I hadn't had that much to drink, I only had a couple of glasses of wine and I was very, very ill. I had to go to hospital. It's really quite frightening because other than the effect of losing your memory, it actually could have killed me. I was an emotional wreck. I was conscious and neurotic everytime I went out."
Tammy added: "When you're running a pub, you automatically panic because you think 'oh it's happened in my venue' but the thing is, it can happen anywhere.
"It can take anywhere between 20 minutes or two to three hours to kick in, but what matters is how you deal with it at the time, how their friends deal with it, looking out for each other. If you have to call the police or ambulance, you have to do whatever it is you have to do to look after that individual at that time. Stigma is irrelevant because it can happen to anybody.
"Keep an eye on your friends. We all have that one mad mate that goes too fast but I think it's important that if they do anything that you think is just out of character, trust your judgement. Take them home, don't trust them to go on their own. It doesn't mean you can't come back out, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the rest of your day and night but make sure that person gets home safe.
"If your friend is doing anything at all that's out of character, do it something. Don't just ignore it. Don't just think they've had one too many because they might not have done, somebody might have gone too far and spiked them. A lot of them times now, people are spiking drinks to rob people. They spike them, they watch them and then they follow them before robbing their phones or handbags."
Ellen Senior, manager of The Whitby Way, said: "We have plenty of posters everywhere, in the ladies' toilets and in the gents, describing what to look for in drinks which is very important. We've got the drink tops that you can put on top of your drinks to prevent people slipping things in. We also sell wine by the bottle rather than by the glass because then it's sealed until the last minute."
North Yorkshire Horizons
Lee Wilson works the humankind charity who run drug and alcohol support services in North Yorkshire and says you can also approach them for support: "If people don't want to contact the police we totally understand that, and we wouldn't contact the police if somebody got in touch with us, our focus is safety, we can provide anecdotal to the police about numbers accessing just to help keep people safe, but as an individual case that is strictly confidential."
He has also been talking to us about what you can do to keep yourself safe: "Take the steps you take when you are sober, and if you are in groups, make sure you are looking out for each other and ultimately if you leave your drink, or it's out of your reach, leave it, don't return to it."
"You've always got to be on your guard, always be mindful of your environment that not everybody has the best intentions with you and if you are a bit more vulnerable due to alcohol, when you are out with your friends look after each other."
READ: Victims tell us what it's really like to be spiked
Why do people not report being spiked?
A survey of spiking victims found a range of reasons people didn't speak out:
- They didn't believe the Police would do anything about it
- They didn't know where to report it
- They thought it was too late to report it
- They were embarrassed
Kate told us victims need to have more opportunities to speak out, knowing they'll be believed: "You're going to have people saying 'You should have done this' or 'You should have done that', but at the end of the day someone's story is someone's story.
"That's what happened to them, you can say what you like but you can't change the facts.
"This is what happened, it wasn't their fault, and they suffered as a result."
Police urge spiking victims to speak out
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “I know from talking to victims of spiking how utterly terrifying it can be.
“Police forces have increased action against spiking with uniformed and covert operations in bars and clubs, working alongside venues to prevent and investigate spiking.
“Spiking is a complex and challenging offence to investigate. Drugs pass through the system quickly and there is often limited evidence to identify offenders, which means it’s not easy to get these cases to court.
“In order to have the best chance of identifying drugs and bringing offenders to justice, our message to anyone who thinks they have been spiked is to report early and be tested by the police.
“Don’t let the fact that you might have knowingly taken illegal drugs, stop you from reporting. It’s really important that if you do think you have been spiked, and you have taken drugs, that you let the officer know so that they have the full picture.”
What should I do if I think I’ve been spiked?
Here's the advice provided by Police about what action you should take if you've been spiked:
"Call 999 or 101 to report it to the police. We need to know about every possible spiking so we can investigate, even if no other crime has taken place. If you are out in a bar or club, you can report to a member of staff, who will be able to help and support you.
"If you are injured or have symptoms you are worried about after being spiked, call NHS 111.
"If you think you’ve been sexually assaulted, you can go to your nearest sexual assault referral centre (SARC) for specialist care and support. At a SARC you can receive a medical or forensic examination (whether or not you decide to report to the police).
"If you’ve been affected by crime and you need confidential support or information, you can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
"If police feel it’s appropriate, they will take a non-invasive urine sample. Some drugs leave the body in a very short time (within 12 hours), so it’s important to test as soon as possible. Other drugs remain in the body longer, so testing will be considered up to seven days after the incident. The test the police use is the most effective way of finding out whether you have been spiked.
"If you are tested in a hospital or by your GP, you will need to also have a police test, as this is what can be used as evidence to support charges or convictions.
"If you tell the police how much you have drunk and whether you have voluntarily taken drugs, we will be able to provide a more accurate result. It is not a crime to have illegal drugs in your system (unless you are driving), so please don’t let this stop you reporting spiking.
"The test results will come back in three weeks and will be discussed with you."
Signposting services
If you've got questions about spiking or want to know more
Find out what the Police say about it, in terms of signs and symptoms and getting support
Check out the I've Been Spiked Instagram feed
Get advice from DrinkAware
And there's more on the Rape Crisis website if you'd like to explore it there