Baluga Bar & Club in Preston issues statement after alleged needle spiking incidents

A woman reported on social media that her and her friend were recently spiked at the Baluga Bar & Club in Miller Arcade.

She said they believed they had been injected multiple times during their night out, causing them to black out.

She added they had no recollection of what happened and that they had to spend a weekend in hospital as a result.

The woman also claimed another friend had been targeted at the bar on New Year's Eve and urged revellers to stay vigilant.

Lancashire Police confirmed they were aware of the reports and that an investigation was ongoing.

Baluga Bar told the Post they take any allegations of spiking "very seriously" and that they were helping the police with their enquiries.

They added that numerous measures are in place to keep customers safe and reports of this nature are rare.

A spokesman for the venue said: "All of the bar and security staff are trained to spot signs of spiking, but more so preventative measures.

"We don't want that sort of stuff going on and we do everything we can to stop it and to make sure it doesn't happen in the first place.

"We only employ the best security staff and we take pride in that and they are all first-aid trained.

"They all know how to spot when someone is in trouble and they'll know whether to call a paramedic, help them into a taxi or even call their parents."

They added: "I think I can speak for every other licensee that we don't want this sort of thing happening.

"You can approach security in any venue and they'll make sure that you are taken care of and get home safely."

Anyone with information that may help police with their investigation should call 101, quoting either log number 0502 or 0626 of January 2.

Independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

What is needle spiking?

Needle spiking is when a person is injected with a drug without their consent.

This is illegal even if no other offence is committed.

How rare is needle spiking?

It is very difficult to inject someone without them noticing, especially in a crowded venue where people are moving a lot.

It would also take several seconds to get enough of a drug into the system to have an effect, according to the Metropolitan Police.

However, while incidents are rare it does not mean that needle spiking does not take place.

Lancashire Police take these offences seriously and they urge anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking to contact them immediately.

Click HERE to find out more about what Lancashire Police are doing to target spiking.

Click HERE to find out more about spiking myths.