Women Boycott Clubs In Huge Anti-Spiking Protest

Huge crowds of people across Britain took to the streets last night, boycotting nightclubs in protests against a sharp rise in spiking cases.

- Helen Pidd

There were demonstrations in more than 40 university towns and cities, from St Andrews in Scotland to Brighton on the south coast of England, united by a common fury.

Opening the Manchester demonstration in front of at least 1,000 young people, Lucy Nichols, 21, declared an emergency response to an emergency situation”. There was a “spiking epidemic” sweeping the UK, she said.

Every single women here will have a story about them or one of their friends being spiked. Now we can't even do the age-old trick of covering up our drinks because they are spiking us with needles now.”

Everyone in the crowd outside the central library seemed to have their own story. Maisie Porter, 21, a geography student, said several members of her university netball team had been targeted. She said she had stopped buying drinks in clubs to stay safe.