Public told to 'step in' if they suspect someone has been spiked

The public should be prepared to 'step in' if they suspect someone has been spiked, Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has said. Her statement comes as the government plans to make spiking a specific criminal offence for the first time.

Currently covered under assault laws, spiking someone's drink will soon become a stand-alone crime, which Phillips believes will help police better focus on tackling the issue. The government has also unveiled plans to train 10,000 bar workers across the country to spot and prevent offences, and support spiking victims.

One Birmingham pub owner has welcomed the move saying people 'shouldn't have to worry' about their safety when out in public. Speaking from Digbeth-based pub - Nortons - this morning, Phillips called for 'severe punishments' for perpetrators amid a rise in spiking offences nationally.

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Speaking from Nortons yesterday (November 25), Jess Phillips - Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women & Girls - told Sky News: "I think that if somebody purposefully seeks to harm someone else, humiliate them, cause them distress, and even to immobilise them for other crimes, very severe punishments need to be meted out.

"This isn't just about making sure that people go to prison for long enough time. I want women to feel safe when they're out and about, I don't want them to have to second guess safety planning with their mates, which is what everybody has to do."

In an interview with the BBC, she said bystanders should be prepared to step in and help anyone who appears to have been spiked. She said: 'What I would say to people is just go up to a woman ... nobody will be offended by this, and say ''is everything alright?'''

Spiking is on the rise nationally, with the Metropolitan Police reporting a 13% increase in offences in 2023. Peter Connolly, who runs Nortons Digbeth, an Irish pub and music venue, said his 32 staff would be trained by the end of the week.

"We are already training our 32 members of staff, including management, door team and security, and bar staff, so that our customers feel even safer on their nights out with us," he said.

He added: "People shouldnt have to worry about these sorts of things happening, and if it means us going the extra mile then we’re happy to go above and beyond, in order to stamp out criminal behaviours such as spiking."

Further details on the training of bar staff will be discussed at a meeting in Downing Street on Monday between the prime minister and chief constables. A former police officer, and current policing expert at Birmingham City University (BCU), has called for 'consequences' for bosses who don't take new rules seriously.

"The specific offence of ‘spiking’ is long overdue," said associate professor in policing Ron Winch. "But it requires a partnership approach between the hospitality industry, transport, police, educational institutions and local authorities to ensure that prevention and detection of spiking happens effectively.

"This is predominantly an issue of gender-based violence, and spiking can be a tool to create opportunities for more violent or sexual crimes. We've already seen a number of venues fail to recognise safety schemes, such as Ask for Angela, and there needs to be consequences for bosses that don’t take these issues seriously, especially with the upcoming busy festive season.

"Licenses should be withdrawn or amended for premises that don’t comply with additional staff training, or in taking up broader crime prevention approaches."