Police step up action against drink spiking after almost 5,000 reports in one year

Nearly 5,000 cases of needle and drink spiking incidents were reported to police over the course of a year, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has said.

Some 4,924 reports were made to forces in England and Wales in the 12 months to September 2022.

More than half occurred on weekends while 59% took place in pubs, bars, and clubs and 7% at private premises.

The most common report was spiking by needle, with 2,581 complaints made, followed by drink spiking at 2,131 cases. There were 212 reports of ‘other spiking’, such as via cigarettes or food.

However, only 800 reports were sent for forensic analysis and just 3% were found to contain a drug that police said “supports a spiking incident”.

The most common drugs detected in these cases were cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.

Deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for violence against women and girls, said forces were increasingly working alongside pubs and bars to tackle the issue.

This has seen officers carry out licence checks on taxis, bars and clubs, work with venues to step up security efforts, and ensure staff are trained to log and report spiking incidents.

She said: “Behind each of these reports is a frightened victim whose night out has turned into a nightmare. 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.”

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said venues needed a deeper understanding of the characteristics of offenders and the methods used to spike victims.

“The collaborative approach between police and licensed premises with enhanced training, overt advertising campaigns and the effective management of these crimes and subsequent evidence has been positive,” said NTIA chief executive Michael Kill.

“We still require the Home Office to consider a specific crime category under spiking, continue to research effective methods of testing and enhance the current toxicology screening process for these crimes to maximise criminal conviction rates, and send a clear message to perpetrators.”

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