Police arrest two men, 28 and 19, suspected of spiking female clubbers with needles and by doctoring their drinks on nights out
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of spiking by injection and in drinks during nights out amid a nationwide spiking 'epidemic' that has prompted backlash from students and nightclubs.
A 28-year-old man from Hove was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure, and a 19-year-old man from Brighton was arrested on Monday morning on suspicion of the same offence.
The arrests in Sussex follow hundreds of reports of women being spiked by needle at late night venues, prompting boycotts of venues around the country dubbed 'The Girls Night In'.
Both men and women spurned bars and clubs in Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol last Wednesday as they demanded better safety measures for customers.
Dozens of local Instagram pages have been created to spread the news of the Girls Night In campaign, where women from various university cities will stay in, 'spreading awareness and challenging clubs' to keep people safe.
Venues normally packed with students were almost empty as the boycott took place in Manchester on Saturday, October 23
A crowd of people gathered in Manchester to protest in a bid to urge venues to do more to protect customers from having their drink spiked as part of a nationwide movement known as Girls Night In which has seen thousands boycott bars and clubs
Both of the arrested men have been bailed while inquiries continue, according to a Sussex Police spokesman.
He said: 'Police have received a number of recent reports of people becoming unwell during or after nights out, with some finding puncture marks on their body or believing their drink had been tampered with.
'Officers have increased patrols as part of their continued work policing the night-time economy and have been working closely with partners and licensed premises on initiatives to help keep people safe.
'These include unannounced licence checks at venues, briefings with security staff prior to opening and targeted, visible patrols around bars, clubs and restaurants every night of the week.'
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Student Ilana El-baz, 20, (pictured above) was recently spiked while in a Bristol nightclub
It comes as Ilana El-baz, 20, recently recalled how she was 'left semi-paralysed' on a staircase after returning home from a Bristol nightclub last month.
In the full recording, filmed by her boyfriend, the University of Bristol undergraduate can be seen struggling to get up the stairs, her eyes rolling as her head falls into the railings.
Miss El-baz, from Richmond in Surrey, gave the BBC permission to broadcast the clip of her to highlight the dangers of spiking in nightclubs – when victims are drugged without their knowledge either physically with needles or by doctoring with their drinks.
The third-year student said she believes she was spiked by a fellow clubber who approached her and asked her to dance.
'The moment I told him I was with my boyfriend he left me completely.
'An hour later I went back home and it hit and I was completely paralysed,' she added.
Petra Mirosevic-Sorgo, who runs the @girlsnightinloughborough Instagram account with two other students at Loughborough University, said her own experiences of spiking made her want to 'make sure that (others) feel safe'.
'I woke up and I was so distraught... I just remember running out to the hospital lobby crying,' the 21-year-old recalled.Two men have been arrested on suspicion of spiking by injection and in drinks during nights out amid a nationwide spiking 'epidemic' that has prompted backlash from students and nightclubs.
A 28-year-old man from Hove was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure, and a 19-year-old man from Brighton was arrested on Monday morning on suspicion of the same offence.
The arrests in Sussex follow hundreds of reports of women being spiked by needle at late night venues, prompting boycotts of venues around the country dubbed 'The Girls Night In'.
Both men and women spurned bars and clubs in Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol last Wednesday as they demanded better safety measures for customers.
Dozens of local Instagram pages have been created to spread the news of the Girls Night In campaign, where women from various university cities will stay in, 'spreading awareness and challenging clubs' to keep people safe.
Venues normally packed with students were almost empty as the boycott took place in Manchester on Saturday, October 23
A crowd of people gathered in Manchester to protest in a bid to urge venues to do more to protect customers from having their drink spiked as part of a nationwide movement known as Girls Night In which has seen thousands boycott bars and clubs
Both of the arrested men have been bailed while inquiries continue, according to a Sussex Police spokesman.
He said: 'Police have received a number of recent reports of people becoming unwell during or after nights out, with some finding puncture marks on their body or believing their drink had been tampered with.
'Officers have increased patrols as part of their continued work policing the night-time economy and have been working closely with partners and licensed premises on initiatives to help keep people safe.
'These include unannounced licence checks at venues, briefings with security staff prior to opening and targeted, visible patrols around bars, clubs and restaurants every night of the week.'SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Student Ilana El-baz, 20, (pictured above) was recently spiked while in a Bristol nightclub
It comes as Ilana El-baz, 20, recently recalled how she was 'left semi-paralysed' on a staircase after returning home from a Bristol nightclub last month.
In the full recording, filmed by her boyfriend, the University of Bristol undergraduate can be seen struggling to get up the stairs, her eyes rolling as her head falls into the railings.
Miss El-baz, from Richmond in Surrey, gave the BBC permission to broadcast the clip of her to highlight the dangers of spiking in nightclubs – when victims are drugged without their knowledge either physically with needles or by doctoring with their drinks.
The third-year student said she believes she was spiked by a fellow clubber who approached her and asked her to dance.
'The moment I told him I was with my boyfriend he left me completely.
'An hour later I went back home and it hit and I was completely paralysed,' she added.
Petra Mirosevic-Sorgo, who runs the @girlsnightinloughborough Instagram account with two other students at Loughborough University, said her own experiences of spiking made her want to 'make sure that (others) feel safe'.
'I woke up and I was so distraught... I just remember running out to the hospital lobby crying,' the 21-year-old recalled.
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