Night club bosses call for Home Office inquiry as Scots boycott planned over spiking by injection

The Girls Night In campaign is urging revellers to stop going to major party venues in Scotland on October 28 amid reports women have been targeted in recent weeks.

READ MORE: Glasgow nightclubs introduce new security measures following 'injection' spiking claims

Now the Night Time Industries Association has raised its concern and called for a formal inquiry by the Home Office.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA said: "We are very concerned to learn about the reported increase in the number of spiking incidents taking place across the country. We support all those coming forward to speak about their experiences.

"It goes without saying that everyone should be able to enjoy a night out without fearing for their own safety, and we are saddened to hear that some don’t feel this way.

“There is a lot that we as a sector are already doing to try to tackle drink spiking. In response to recent reports, operators across the UK have been working with the police, local authorities and key stakeholders, focusing on safeguarding customers, particularly women, at night. It varies by region, but many cities already have well-established networks amongst operators and community support representatives, and work very closely with authorities, communicating on a regular basis to highlight increases in crime or disorder.

READ MORE: Nightclub 'injection' spiking incidents probed by police across Scotland

“The truth is though, very real challenges still exist. We know this a societal problem, but it is very difficult to say with any real certainty what the scale of this problem is, because drink spiking is currently criminalised under an offence which encompasses many other types of incident, and it is also not possible to ascertain whether an incident occurred within a licensed venue or in some other setting. The result is that police data revealed through FOI requests does not give an accurate picture of what’s happening, or lend itself to specifically categorising this particular crime."

"The Home Office should launch a formal inquiry to examine the results of that pilot, and the lessons that can be applied to the industry and policing nationally."

He said having drink spiking testing available in the night time economy, would allow data to be gathered to provide a more accurate picture.

"Having testing available and clearly communicating this to customers was also found to have de-escalated situations - where tested drinks came back negative - and generally provided reassurance to customers who had spiking concerns. We believe the widespread implementation of these measures – to complement existing routine duty of care measures – is an important step in making sure everyone can enjoy a night out safely and without fear, as it should be. The Home Office should work with the industry as part of this inquiry, and also speak to campaign groups and listen to their concerns.“ “We would always recommend that anyone who has any concerns about the way they are feeling within a venue, for whatever reason, speaks to a member of staff and asks for assistance.”

Priti Patel has already ordered an urgent update from police on the spiking 'epidemic', amid reports that women have been drugged by men using needles to inject 'date-rape' drugs.

A petition calling for nightclubs to be legally required to search guests on arrival for weapons and 'date rape' drugs has now reached over 131,000 signatures following the reports. Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate.

Scots partygoers are now being urged to host house gatherings and flat parties where they can feel safer.

Some Edinburgh students have said they had been left with “small puncture wounds” after being spiked with injections.

University of Dundee officers have contacted students highlighting “appalling” reports of people being spiked via injection in the city.

In an email to students and social media posts, university secretary and chief operating officer Dr Jim McGeorge called the reports “extremely distressing” and highlighted support on offer to victims.

He was backed by Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) president Dimitiris Vidaki.

And another woman later alleged that she had been spiked in a Stirling bar.

Police say they are currently investigating separate incidents in Dundee and Glasgow.

Victims have reported waking up with a pinprick surrounded by a giant bruise, as well as no memory of the night before.

Those targeted with needles also carry the risk of shared or unclean needles being used, posing threats of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Some women say they are now wearing denim jackets in nightclubs and bars because the material is 'harder to pierce' with a needle. Others are choosing to wear thick clothing in fear of being spiked.

Girls Night In has called for people to boycott clubs on October 28 to demonstrate that women and other people are ‘not comfortable going out so long as nightclubs are enabling spiking.’ The boycott is planned for Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen.

Girls Night In Edinburgh were the first to call for a boycott in clubs on October 28. An Instagram account in support of the idea has quickly gained 5,000 followers.

They are demanding clubs take threats to women more seriously and introduce improved safety measures.

They want bar staff to get training on how to deal with spiking incidents, increased searches when entering clubs, and better CCTV to help catch out sick culprits.

Campaigners also say immediate and long-term support for victims must be better, with more obvious guidelines in clubs for where someone should go if they have been targeted.

They also say stoppers and cup covers should be more readily available for clubbers.

Other demands include harsher repercussions for anyone found guilty of spiking - and improved treatment and prevention policies from the Scottish Government.

The campaign group said: “Let's all host flat parties or gatherings in safe environments so we can show the disgusting human beings that are spiking people and local clubs that we do not need nightclubs to have a good time at the risk of our own safety.

"We are asking clubs and bars to increase their entry security. We are asking clubs and bars to provide free drink protection devices (drink divers etc). We are asking clubs and bars to provide a clear and obvious medical centre and a safe way to get home.

“This is not a stay at home message. This is asking our students to protest against the clubs and bars. They are not responding to our complaints so we must make them.”