Girls Night In: Girls Night In: Bristol nightclub boycotts planned after young women ‘spiked with needles’

The organisers of the nightclub boycotts want venues to tackle a recent surge of reports of spiking.

Students are gearing up to boycott Bristol nightclubs as part of a nationwide campaign to pressure venues after reports of women being spiked with injections.

Girls Night In, which has formed at least 13 groups in different cities across the UK, is planning the nightclub boycott between October 25 - November 3.

The Bristol boycott is set to take place on October 27 - a Wednesday, which is one of the busiest nights for students in the city.

It comes after reports of women being spiked with needles in Exeter, Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire and Scotland in recent weeks.

In Bristol, police are investigating a suspected ‘drink-spiking’ incident at Pryzm nightclub at Bristol’s Harbourside earlier this month.

A post by the Girls Night In Bristol group on their Instagram page, which has attracted more than 3,000 followers, reads: “Dear Bristol nightclubs… what are you going to do?

Students are preparing to boycott nightclubs in Bristol and across th UK to pressure venues to do more to combat the recent increase in spiking.

“Many of us are feeling unsafe with the countless spikings happening currently and we are wondering what is it you are doing to help us?

“We are asking for your policies and training to be updated, anti-spiking products, more support and more OBVIOUS/ACCESSIBLE support for those who think they may have been spiked.

“Bristol clubs, it’s your turn to do better.”

The group said it had had some ‘great responses’ to the campaign from nightclubs on Clifton Triangle.

The group added: “Our short term aims for clubs are greater staff training, clear sign posting for help and the implementation of cup coverage/bottle stops to protect drinks.

“We hope to get clubs on board with having designated “arm banded” staff where those who feel they have been spiked can go to.

“This would help reduce the risk of discrimination against marginalised groups and the criminalisation of those who wish to take drugs; both could happen with increased security checks.”

Home secretary Priti Patel has requested an urgent update from Nottinghamshire Police on the force’s investigations into a spate of reports of women who believe they may have been ‘spiked with needles’.

An online petition has also been launched to make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to search guests thoroughly on entry.

The petition reads: “I would like the UK Government to make it law that nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment.

The petition has amassed more than 162,000 signatures at the time of writing.