Spiking by injection incident investigated by Met Police
Charissa Cheong
Handout photo from the Twitter feed of Benjamin Hobbs of people gathering in Manchester to protest after hundreds of cases of spiking were reported in recent months - Credit: PA
The Met Police has said it is investigating a report of spiking by injection.
According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, 198 drink spiking incidents were reported nationally in the September and October, as well as 24 reports of some form of injection.
The Met has not given further details of the incident reported in London during October.
A UK-wide campaign, Girls Night In, has orchestrated boycotts of nightclub venues in 43 cities over two weeks, with the London boycott happening on November 5.
Enquiries into the incident of spiking by injection in London this month are ongoing and police are encouraging anyone who thinks they have been spiked to contact them on 101 or 999.
A Met Police spokesperson added: “Drink spiking using controlled drugs is rare. However, there are certain precautions you can take, including avoiding leaving your drink unattended and looking out for your friends.
“If you see anything suspicious, report it to bar staff or police.”
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They added: “We would also urge people not to put any substance – including alcohol – for whatever reason, into someone else’s drink without their knowledge – as by doing so you could be committing a criminal offence.”
Since August, police officers have been rolling out an expansion of the Ask for Angela initiative to support victims of spiking.
The programme allows people who feel unsafe to approach staff and use the code-word “Angela” to alert them of their situation.
The Met spokesperson said venues signed up to this initiative were offered welfare and vulnerability engagement (WAVE) training, delivered by Met licensing officers and businesses safety partnership Safer Sounds.
Police in Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire, and Scotland have all confirmed that they are looking into reports of spiking at venues.
When asked about the issue at the Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Boris Johnson urged anyone who thinks they have been spiked to “come forward and contact the police”.
London Night In is on Instagram at www.instagram.com/londonnightin
