Drink spiking: Leeds clubs bring in new safety measures

Nightclubs in Leeds have brought in new measures to help combat drink spiking after calls for venues to do more to protect people.

Students have reported an "epidemic" of drink-spiking in the city and have backed movement calling for a boycott of clubs and bars over the issue.

Przym and HiFi Club in Leeds said they would step up searches and give out drinks covers in response to concerns.

MP Yvette Cooper said the crimes should be taken more seriously.

Campaign group Girls Night In, which is organising the boycott, has cropped up in dozens of cities across the UK.

Lucy Thompson, who set up the Leeds group after two of her friends were spiked and assaulted, called for venues to do more.

"It starts with training for bar staff and bouncers.

"When people are working in those kind of environments they have a duty of care and you're working with a lot of people who are putting themselves in vulnerable situations.

"At the moment there doesn't seem to be any coherent protocol or training for when this kind of thing happens."

In response, HiFi said it was "extremely concerned by the recent reports of an upsurge in drink spiking" and that it was "absolutely committed to ensuring our space is a safe environment for everyone".

The club said security would be carrying out more searches and drinks covers would be available free to customers.

In a statement on its Facebook page, managers said they were "fully behind the Girls Night In campaign" and anyone caught spiking drinks would be banned for life and reported to police.

Nightclub Pryzm said it took drink spiking "very seriously" and worked closely with police.

The club said it would be increasing searches on entry over coming weeks and would be providing anti-spiking bottle tops and drink covers.

It added: "We will never ask anyone to leave on their own and our staff are able to arrange for a taxi or a friend/family member to collect you."

Meanwhile, Ms Cooper, Labour MP for Normanton Pontefract and Castleford, who is also the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "I think there has to be more focus on identifying and stopping these perpetrators of these crimes.

"That does mean nightclubs and venues working much more closely with the police and local groups and organisations to do that."

Nationally, a petition calling for compulsory searches at nightclubs has been signed by more than 150,000 people after a number of reported spikings by needle, including one in Nottingham.

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