'Good start but we can't stop here' - business leader responds to measures tackling drink spiking

Vince Dovey, of 1st & Bowery, provides free drink spike testing strips and incident reporting technology to licensed premises in Shrewsbury.

Mr Dovey was responding to reports that the Government has introduced a raft of new measures but has fallen short of making spiking a separate offence.

"There is a consensus that there should be treated as a separate criminal charge," he said.

"But if they come through with funding for test kits and reporting offences that can only be a good thing.

"It's a blooming good start but we haven't yet got the finished article.

"It is incumbent on organisations to keep the pressure on to make sure the money comes through."

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has welcomed the announcement from the Government to tackle drink spiking.

He said: “I fully support the Government’s action to update drink spiking legislation to ensure it equips the police and door staff with the powers they need to tackle this harmful crime.

“In West Mercia, I am committed to ensuring preventative measures are in place to stop spiking from happening in the first place.

“I have helped to fund thousands of anti-spiking kits, distributing them to businesses in the night-time economy and bespoke training for door staff to ensure they can spot the signs of spiking”.

Mr Dovey said that although it is difficult to get information on the scale of the problem he confirmed that the "vast majority of drinks tested in Shrewsbury are good". As for cases of needle spiking there have been none verified and confirmed by the police, he said.

As part of a new package to crack down on drink spiking, ministers have set out plans to fund testing kits and training for door staff.

It is an attempt to modernise the law on spiking - when someone puts drugs into another person's drink or directly into their body without their knowledge or consent.

Calls to ministers to make needle and drink spiking a special offence has been ongoing, but this new announcement falls short of that demand.

Instead the Home Office sets out a number of practical steps it is taking to protect people, heading into the festive partygoing season.