Police Presence in Nottingham Bolstered Following Wave of Spiking Reports, Says Media

The police have received numerous reports of people having their drinks spiked – and also being injected with needles.

The police presence on the streets of Nottingham has been beefed up in the wake of numerous reports of spikings, and Nottinghamshire Police said the extra officers are there to stay, the BBC reports.

According to the media outlet, the police said that since 4 September, they have received 32 reports of spikings that involved a person’s drink being contaminated. There have also been 15 reports of spikings involving victims supposedly being injected with a needle, with the first such report on 2 October.

Chief Inspector Amy English said that the increased police presence is going to continue “for the weekends to come."

"We've had increased reports of spikings in our city, which we have seen nationally, [and] this is one tactic that we use in response," she said as quoted by the media outlet. "We want people to come to Nottingham, we want to reassure them that we're here to keep them safe."

Two young men, aged 18 and 19, have been arrested as part of the investigation into the spiking incidents in Nottingham, on suspicion of conspiracy to administer poison with intent to injure, annoy, or aggrieve. They have reportedly been released under investigation.

The Nottinghamshire Police has also set Operation Guardian in motion, with searches and sniffer dogs being employed to “crack down on drug use in the city.”

Meanwhile, a pub in Nottingham announced that it will hold its first women-only night on 3 November, with an all-female staff as well, amid the spiking reports.

Police in Scotland have also received reports about women being spiked with needles in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, and Aberdeen and are investigating.