As festive celebrations take place around the city, Milton Keynes City Council has been sharing advice with staff at pubs and bars to make sure local people have a fairer and safer experience.
In a joint operation, the city council’s Trading Standards and Licensing teams checked whether teams at licensed premises knew how to combat drink spiking, and what to do if they suspected someone had spiked a drink.
“Most incidents of spiking go unreported, and we’re urging everyone to report suspicious behaviour and look out for each other during the festive season,” said Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, Cllr Mick Legg.
In 13 premises, they also measured the volume of drinks being served to make sure customers aren’t receiving short measures.
Bars and nightclubs are the most common locations for spiking, so staff awareness and training to act quickly is essential. The city council teams found good awareness of spiking in general. They shared guidance and resources on how to prevent it, how to recognise and support potential victims, and how to collect evidence to assist police investigations.
In the weights and measures part of the operation, 80% of 18 wines and beers served were found to be short measures. Seven standard (175ml) glasses of wine out of 11 were short by between 6.6ml (3.8%) and 23ml (13%). All seven pints of beer tested were under measure by between 18ml (3.2%) and 79.5ml (14%). While the head on a pint is legally part of the measure, customers are entitled to ask for a top-up if they feel the head is too large.
“We work with licensed premises around the year to make sure they’re properly looking out for their customers, and that their staff are well trained and aware of their responsibilities. We’ve stepped up this work at this busy time of year as vigilant teams can help to make predators think twice.
If you suspect someone has had their drink spiked:
- Get help immediately: Tell a trusted friend, a member of staff, or security personnel.
- Seek medical attention: Call 999 or get to A&E immediately if you feel unwell or are in immediate danger.
- Report to police: Report the incident to the police as soon as possible (call 101 for non-emergencies) to give the best chance for evidence collection. Reporting can also be done online.
- Preserve evidence: Keep the suspected drink if possible, as it may be used for testing.
