Students across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire boycott nightlife amid reported spiking rise
Students across Yorkshire are boycotting nightlife this evening (27 October) amid a reported rise in spiking incidents - particularly those involving needles.
The nationwide Girls Night In campaign calls on people to stay away from clubs and bars for one night in a bid to urge venues to provide better protection for everyone.
Many cities, including Leeds, Lincoln, Hull, Sheffield and York have organised their own 'night in' events.
Alongside this, a group from the University of Sheffield have launched their own movement called 'Claim Back West Street'. They have set themselves an eight-week deadline to fulfil their goal of creating safe areas in the city.
The Student Union has cancelled its regular Wednesday night event ROAR, and many bars have been working with them and are now handing out anti-spiking covers and free testing strips for drinks.
Last week, Lincolnshire Police told ITV Calendar it had dealt with eight reports of spiking this month alone.
Just days later, a case of spiking by injection was confirmed in Hull and is said to be being treated as "extremely seriously" as investigations progress.
While officers are offering words of comfort to the public, they are also everyone to remain vigilant.
A list of 'warning signs' has been released, highlighting things we can all look out for. These include:
Anyone active or behaving suspiciously with another person who looks too intoxicated
Anyone targeting someone who has been separated from their friends
Anyone trying to lead someone into a taxi or unmarked car
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