Spiking to be made a crime punishable with a possible 10-year sentence

The government also announced a nationwide training programme to help workers spot and prevent attacks.

While giving someone a substance such as drugs without their knowledge or against their will is already a crime under existing legislation such as a law against “administering poison”, there have been long-standing calls for a specific offence.

On Friday, the government said spiking will now be its own offence with a possible 10-year prison sentence as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced in parliament next week.

It also announced a nationwide training programme to help workers spot and prevent attacks.

Speaking about the change, Home Office Minister Jess Phillips said: "Every time I speak to survivors of spiking, I hear how these cruel attacks have shattered their confidence and stolen their sense of safety."

The £250,000 government-funded programme will teach venue staff how to spot warning signs of spiking crimes in the hope of preventing future incidents and gathering evidence.

It aims to train 10,000 staff at pubs, clubs and bars for free by April 2025.

Hundreds of bar staff across 104 venues in England and Wales have already completed vital spiking training, with thousands more signed up to start in the coming weeks.

Spiking is when someone is given drugs or alcohol without them knowing or consenting, either by someone putting something in their drink or using a needle.

Police in England and Wales received 6,732 reports of spiking in the year up to April 2023 - with 957 of those relating to needle spiking.

London's Metropolitan Police added that reports of spiking had increased by 13% in 2023, with 1,383 allegations.

Ms Phillips added: "No one should live in fear of having their drink spiked on a night out and these measures mark a crucial step in tackling spiking and delivering our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade."