The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Pubs and bars in Spalding will be able to test drinks to see if they have been ‘spiked’ as a new scheme is launched in the town.
All ten venues within the town’s Pubwatch scheme have signed-up to the initiative which is designed to keep people safe on a night out.
“The aim of Pubwatch is to keep the night time economy safe. Drinks testing kits are another tool in the box to ensure drinks have not been interfered with,” said Stuart Brotherton, Pubwatch co-ordinator in the town.
The kits can detect a range of narcotics and are discreet for bar staff to use.
They can quickly indicate the presence of drugs most commonly used in ‘spiking’ incidents, including ketamine, cocaine, heroine and ecstasy.
The date-rape drug rohypnol can also be detected with the test kit, along with other benzodiazephines including GHB and diazepam.
“There is not a particular problem in Spalding but this test offers reassurance to both men and women who are drinking in the town,” said Stuart.
The most common cause of ‘spiking’ is from adding extra alcohol or higher-strength alcohol to someone’s drink without them knowing and is often done so a crime can take place.
“Drink spiking is an offence, whatever the intention is,” said Det Insp Dan Boulter from the Emerald Team at Lincolnshire Police.
All the venues offering testing already run the Ask for Angela scheme where bar staff will help people who feel threatened.
A customer can ask a member of staff if ‘Angela is in’ which alerts them to a potential problem.
The Spalding venues offering drink testing are: The Punchbowl, Bentleys, The Black Swan, Loaded and Bounce Bar,
The Moorings, Mulberrys, The Red Lion, The Birds, The Pied Calf and The White Horse.
The Drink Detective testing kits are discreet, credit-card sized and work quickly.
The scheme was originally trialled in Lincoln where the kits and positive feedback has seen them rolled-out to the south of the county.
