Nottingham Needle Nightmare!

Calls for nightclub searches after Nottingham needle spiking reports.

A petition calling for compulsory searches at nightclubs has been signed by more than 100,000 people after a number of reported spikings by needle.

A student, who believes she was injected in a Nottingham club, said she felt “vulnerable” and “violated.”

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed it was looking into reports of people being “spiked physically.”

About 130,000 people have signed a petition asking the government to make searching guests a legal requirement.

Nottingham is the area with the highest number of signatures, particularly the parts of the city popular with students.

Sarah Buckle said she was on a night out in the city on 28 September when she suddenly became ill.

The University of Nottingham student said: “One moment I was talking fine, and then I couldn’t get my words out.”

“They took me to sit down but then I couldn’t get up again.”

She said she remembered very little up until the next morning, when she found herself in a hospital bed.

The 19-year-old noticed a small pin prick on her hand, which later developed bruising causing it to throb.

“I feel violated, I’ve had too much to drink before and this was completely different.”

“To be in hospital for 10 hours and to have no recollection of anything for that long, is absolutely crazy. I’m confused by why this is going on, it’s terrifying. You can cover your drinks but how are you going to stop someone stabbing you.”

Zara Owen another 19-year-old student told the BBC she blacked out shortly after arriving at a club and later discovered a pin prick in her leg.

She also believes she was spiked through an injection.

More than 30 universities have formed groups around the UK joining an online campaign calling for the boycott of nightclubs.

Campaigners say they are seeking “tangible” changes to make night-time venues safer, such as covers or stoppers for drinks and better training for staff.

Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students (NUS) said: “It’s absolutely disgusting that in the past few days a number of students have reported instances of women being spiked on nights out. My rage, love and solidarity goes out to all of those who have been impacted.”

A University of Nottingham spokesperson also said: “We are working closely with Nottinghamshire Police and the city’s nightlife venues to monitor, review and learn from the incidents and experiences in the city centre.

“We have contacted them about the specific concerns raised and will continue to liaise with them.”

Labour MP for Nottingham East, Nadia Whittome said she had been contacted by a number of constituents who were “terrified of going out” including one woman who suspects she was injected.

Whittome called for quicker gathering evidence after a suspected spiking as well as long and short term measures to prevent it happening.

“It’s very difficult to know what the solutions are, we have an idea of what the solutions aren’t.”

“After the Sarah Everard murder in particular, trust in police is at an all time low, its been shattered. Police officers in clubs is not going to reassure women.”

Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, asked a police chief on Wednesday about the scale of the problem.

Temporary Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police Sarah Crew said she only became of the spiking by injection “this morning”

“I can see there are a number of police forces investigating them, I think it’s a fair assumption there may be a sexual motive in those, but there isn’t an indication.”

Cooper said she spoke to someone who was in A&E last night, believing she had been spiked with a needle.

She added that Home Secretary Priti Patel had asked for a report.

Supt Kathryn Craner from Nottinghamshire Police said the force was investigating an increase in reports of drinks being spiked in the City.

She added: “We’ve also received a small number that have been associated with pain or a mark on part of their body r a scratching sensation, as they have been physically spiked.”

“We are taking these reports really seriously and have dedicated resources to it to understand what is happening.”

The force said a 20 year old man had been arrested “on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B and cause [to] administer poison or noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve and annoy” following an incident in Lower Parliament Street on 16 October.

The man has now been released on bail.