Spiking arrest after date found fizzing pill in her drink

A man has been arrested on suspicion of spiking after a woman reported that her drink had been tampered with.

The pair were on a date at a bar in West Bridgford when she began to feel unwell on Friday, 5 June.

After sipping a drink that had been bought for her, the woman reported feeling a pill enter her mouth that began to fizz, which she spat out.

The woman's condition later deteriorated in Nottingham city centre, and she was taken to hospital.

Officers were called to Cheapside, Nottingham, at around 11.30pm and a 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering a poison/noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy.

He has been released on conditional bail while an investigation continues.

The arrest comes as Nottinghamshire Police's participation in a Home Office spiking pilot has been extended throughout the FIFA World Cup.

Project Alliance, which is led by the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, improves the response to spiking reports by increasing victims' accessibility to testing kits.

They can now access multi-drug urine testing kits from specific local hospitals and health centres, not just from the police, offering more options for support.  

DCI Chris Berryman, Nottinghamshire Police's spiking lead, said: "Spiking is a malicious offence that can have a significant and traumatic impact on victims.

"Spiking is underreported, but the victim has done exactly the right thing by calling the police.

"We would always encourage victims to come forward for testing, even if they do not wish to pursue a criminal justice outcome.

"All reports of spiking are taken seriously and we continue to work proactively to safeguard victims from harm in the night-time economy."

For more information on the Home Office pilot and how to report spiking, click here.