'I was spiked and raped' - County Durham woman says change in law welcome, but more to be done

Hannah Tough told reporter Kris Jepson about the long-term impact being spiked and then raped has had on her

A woman from County Durham who was spiked and raped more than a decade ago has told ITV News she welcomes government plans to make spiking a separate criminal offence, but says work to tackle it needs to be consistent.

Hannah Tough, who now supports other victims through the charity, Spike Aware UK, wanted to waive her right to anonymity to raise awareness of how dangerous spiking is.

It comes as the Prime Minister says venue staff will be trained on how to deal with these incidents in an effort to tackle violence against women and girls.

Hannah said the issue had been "missed for a long time" as she welcomed the proposed change in law.

"[Spiking is] dehumanising," she explained. "It takes away any element of choice or freedom and it's just not something I would wish on anyone.

"It's a horrible experience and it's taken a long time to deal with it."

She continued: "It needs to be followed up with more work to make sure there's a more consistent approach throughout the country, so that a spiking victim in Newcastle would be treated exactly the same as a spiking victim in London."

Hannah was on a night out with friends when her drink got spiked. What was supposed be fun turned into a living nightmare and something she has never been able to forget.

She has waived her anonymity as a rape survivor to talk to ITV News Tyne Tees.

Recalling the night she was spiked, she said: "I didn’t feel right and I’d only had a couple of drinks, so I went outside for a bit of a walk, to get some fresh air and my vision just felt green and very blurry and I went back to where we were having drinks at the bar and asked if we could go back, like leave, I just didn’t feel well.

"I was followed by the person who had clearly spiked my drink and I was raped... The next day I knew immediately that after a couple of drinks there's no way I would ever feel like that. My body felt really heavy. I lost control, remembering the rape itself, I was immobile."

Feeling "embarrassed" in the aftermath, Hannah said she felt unable to tell anyone about the attack and it took years for her to feel able to share what had happened.

She added: "By the time I had really thought through what happened, I was still trying to piece it all together. It was too late, in my head, to report it. I didn't tell any medical professional for six years."

Hannah now supports others who have experienced spiking as a charity volunteer.

As part of the government's plan to tackle the issue, training will be rolled out from next month to 10,000 door and bar staff across the country.

Kate Nicholls, is CEO for UK Hospitality, an industry group for bars, restaurants and the nighttime economy.

She attended the Prime Minister's summit and explained: "They look and see what’s happening when things are ordered. It’s about drinks covers, bottle covers, collection of unaccompanied glasses, making sure that customers are aware of the steps that they need to keep themselves safe.

"And it’s also about door staff as well and most importantly, how they can make sure that vulnerable people, either coming in or leaving the premises, are protected and looked after."

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims.

“That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide.

“People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”

Find help and advice after rape and sexual assault here.

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