'We were terrified' - woman speaks out as friend 'spiked by needle' at Exeter nightclub

• Watch Bob Cruwys' report

An Exeter University student has described the 'terrifying' moment she saw her friend after she was 'spiked by a needle' on a night out.

Freya Collington was in an Exeter nightclub last week when her friend walked up to her and said: "I think I've been spiked".

Freya said: "I took her outside as she thought she was spiked by needle. All she told me was that she was hugged very tight by someone she didn't recognise.

"I went outside and got my phone torch on and checked and saw her injection site.

"My gut instinct was to ring 999... about 10 minutes later two police cars arrived.

"In that time - about five minutes after my friend noticed the injection site - she'd become completely paralytic and had to be carried to be sat down and supported by my friends around her.

"She couldn't hold herself up."

She said it was "terrifying to see" and the group of friends were full of panic.

Police then drove her friend to the hospital. 

"They took was a urine test which was negative."

She said her friend was discharged from hospital and is still not sure what was in her system.

Freya told ITV News her and her friends all felt helpless, adding: "I was just in disbelief that my friend was injected by a needle and was in this uncontrollable state."

She said she is now scared to go out and no longer feels safe walking home alone.

"I met with all the girls that I was out with, we all had bad anxiety and we were all just so shaken up.

"With this needle spiking - and drink spiking in general - it's terrifying and I don't know when I'll feel fully comfortable going out."

A spokesperson from Exeter University said: "No-one should feel unsafe when enjoying a night out, or be subjected to any action that places them at personal risk.

"We are taking these concerns extremely seriously and are working with the police, local authorities and venues within the city to reinforce safety measures and schemes across the city, and to ensure that the concerns within our student community are heard."

Tonight (Monday 25 October) boycotts will take place at a number of nightclubs and bars in the South West including Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Bath and Falmouth, amid rising fears of spiking.