Nottinghamshire Police investigate 12 reports of spiking injections
A police force is investigating 12 reports of alleged spiking by needle in Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire Police confirmed they have received 12 reports of alleged spiking by something sharp - such as by injection - since September 4, 2021.
The force has logged a total of 44 spiking reports in total.
These figures have increased throughout October with the largest number of reports being made last weekend on Saturday October 16.
It comes after more people have been coming forward to report being spiked by injection have reported effects consistent with a substance being administered.
One report comes from University of Nottingham student, Sarah Buckle, who said she woke up in hospital with no memory of how she got there and a throbbing pain in her hand.
I feel "violated" and "vulnerable": Nottingham student after being spiked
The 19-year-old later discovered she had likely been spiked via a needle to the back of her hand while out in a nightclub during Freshers' Week.
Sarah's friends called an ambulance as she continued to be violently sick - she was taken to hospital where she woke up the next day with no recollection of the night before.
The only indication of what may have happened was the pain in her left hand. It had a puncture wound with a very distinct pinprick in the middle.
"My hand was throbbing really bad. I also knew I wasn't intoxicated on a stupid level or overly drunk," she told ITV News.
Earlier this week, a 20-year-old man was arrested as part of a wider investigation into spiking, after officers received a report of suspicious activity in Lower Parliament Street on October 16.
The force has said he remains on conditional bail and enquiries are continuing.
Nottinghamshire Police also confirmed more officers will be deployed to the city centre over the next few weekends.
"We need you or your friends to report any incident as soon as possible," Superintendent Kathryn Craner tells ITV News
Superintendent Kathryn Craner said: "Linked to this a small number of victims have said that they may have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. Consequently, we are actively investigating all these reports. "We are treating all of these incidents very seriously and are working with licensed premises and our partner agencies including the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham City Council and East Midlands Ambulance Service in undertaking thorough investigations."
Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked police forces to assess the scale of the problem, following reports of incidents across the country.
Calls to make nightclub searches compulsory
Groups from more than 30 universities around the UK have joined an online campaign calling for the boycott of nightclubs, with campaigners seeking “tangible” changes to make them safer, such as covers/stoppers for drinks, better training for staff and more rigorous searches of clubbers.