Two other students claimed that they lost the use of their legs due to being spiked at nightclubs.
Georgia Latham (21), went to Pryzm nightclub on Friday with a friend after she finished her work as a Stag Do hostess from Cardiff.
An 18-year old student from Liverpool claimed that she was injected in her back while waiting for Baa Bar on Fleet Street.
It is a petition calling for it be a ‘legal requirement for nightclubs’ to ‘thoroughly search customers upon their arrival’. This petition has been signed by over 130,000 people.
Over the next fortnight, the Girls’ Night in campaign will be spread across 43 universities towns and cities. It is in response to a rise in drinks being “spiked” and a disturbing trend of girls being unknowingly injected with drugs.
Georgia Latham (pictured), 21 went to Pryzm nightclub on Friday with a friend after she finished her work as a Stag Do hostess from Cardiff.
Ms. Latham claimed that her night on 22 October took a ‘terrifying turn’ after her legs stopped functioning. After leaving Pryzm (pictured), she and her friend went into the nearby Live Lounge where she began to feel unwell.
Victims may have fallen ill while out and only realized they were being injected when they saw ‘pin pricks’ on their bodies.
Ms. Latham stated that her October 22 night took a ‘terrifying turn’ when her legs stopped working.
After leaving Pryzm, she and her friend went to nearby Live Lounge. She felt unwell.
They were able to tell a bouncer that they believed Ms Latham had been stoked and were taken to a hospital where the third year student at Cardiff University was unable to communicate.
‘I sat there and I was with it in terms of I could process and hear what people were saying, but I couldn’t respond, so I was just crying because I couldn’t get my words out or say how I was feeling,’ she said.
An 18-year old student from Liverpool claimed that she was injected in her back while waiting for Baa Bar (pictured) on Fleet Street.
Victims were violently ill after being out and only discovered they had been injected by finding ‘pin-prick’ marks on the bodies.
Ms Latham was checked over by a medic friend before she was advised to visit A&E.
She said: ‘I don’t remember getting to hospital. The only thing I can remember about arriving is Nisha’s comment to the person at my door, “This is spiking.”
‘We didn’t even say where and one of the actual people at the hospital said “Was it Pryzm?”. They knew the place before we said it and they said “yeah you’re not our first tonight”.’
Ms. Latham received anti-sickness pills after being kept in the hospital for several hours.
She said staff wouldn’t run a toxicology but they suggested her symptoms were most likely caused by Rohypnol. Pryzm spokesperson said that she should feel safe on night out and in our club.
They stated that they take drink spiking reports very seriously and will offer anti-spiking bottles stoppers, protective drink covers, and drug testing kits for free.
A club spokesperson stated that the club conducts 100 percent searches upon entry.
The unnamed woman in Liverpool suddenly felt sick as she waited to get into Baa Bar at midnight on October 19.
She stood at the side of the sick to leave the queue, and the first-year University of Liverpool student claimed she had lost all control of her legs.
Her friend carried her part of the way home before they got in a taxi. It wasn’t until the next day that she realized what had happened.
The woman said, “We were waiting outside and suddenly I was like, “I’m going home.” I threw up and moved to the side.
“My friend said that I was flopping, and I couldn’t use my legs. I couldn’t speak.
“I can recall throwing up and my friend lifting me up to carry me home. The next day, I felt something strange in my back and asked my flatmate to check it.
On a photograph, you can see a red mark on the woman’s skin. This is likely where she was injecting.
She stated that it was extremely scary and she was crying on the phone to her mother.
The 18-year-old called her doctor that morning and was told to go straight to A&E.
Since then, she was referred to the Royal Liverpool Hospital to undergo blood tests, including HIV screening.
Merseyside police said that an investigation is under way and that CCTV, witness and medical inquiries are currently being done.
Baa Bar spokesperson claimed that the venue was aware of the incident. The footage has been provided to the police to assist with their investigation.
Before she went out, the woman claimed that she had been drinking vodka with a friend and had had the exact same amount of alcohol.
A petition to make it a legal requirement that nightclubs thoroughly search all guests upon entry has already received more than 130,000 signatures
The woman stated that she had never been to the city centre at night, and that her back was exposed by the outfit she was wearing.
The woman said, “It was so crowded.” [in the queue]We were talking to everyone – people in the front and those behind.
“I had to have been injected. I wouldn’t have acted that way if I hadn’t been spiked. I’ve never felt this before. I couldn’t even use my legs. My head was flopping, I was flopping.
“I kept wanting to close all my eyes and go into blackout, but my friends wouldn’t allow me.
Merseyside Police stated it was investigating, and CCTV, witness and medical inquiries are ‘in the process of being done’.
Baa Bar spokeswoman said that the woman had contacted them following the incident. The club was taking the “increased threat” of people being injected in the city ‘extremely seriously’.
Where are the nightclub bannings taking place?
October 26
Durham
October 27,
Southampton
Belfast
Bournemouth
Nottingham
Brighton
Bristol
October 28
Swansea
Edinburgh
Stirling
Aberdeen
Newcastle
November 3,
Leeds
They said that Baa Bar was the first bar to adopt a no search, no entry policy to give guests reassurance. This has been very well received.
“We have a welfare manger on every shift, whose primary focus it to support guests in crisis and to watch for unusual activity with our door team.
They claimed that the team was trained to spot vulnerable guests and suspicious behavior’.
“These alleged spikings seem targeted at students is a grave concern. We welcome working with universities to educate and support their students.
They claimed that the queue was ‘particularly lengthy’ on the night of the spiking and that the ‘alleged incident occurred a fair distance down the street, but CCTV had been provided by police.
Merseyside Police stated that they are aware of several spiking incidents in the town, five of which relate specifically to injection spiking.
Detectives indicated that of the five reports, three are still under investigation, which includes the October 19 incident.
Superintendent Diane Pownall stated that “Liverpool is given the Purple Flag status each year and is one the safest places in the UK. We know that people travel far and wide to take advantage of what is here, and we want that to continue.
Operation Empower is a proactive policing initiative that was launched in April. It consists of dedicated officers who are tasked with identifying predatory behavior-prone perpetrators and disrupting those who pose a threat.
“Officers are asked to be aware if anyone is at risk to ensure that any safeguarding concerns are addressed immediately.
Ilana Elbaz (20), said that she was semi-paralysed on stairs after returning from a Bristol club. She shared a video of her struggling up the stairs, her eyes rolling and her head falling into the railings.
Kirsty Howells (25), shared a picture taken from her hospital bed after she was spiked. This is when victims are drugged unknowingly – in Swansea, one evening
“Every week, we also have an additional number uniformed officers on streets of the city. I encourage anyone who has any concerns to approach our Patrols and talk to them.
South Wales Police spokesmen said that they had received reports from people who believed this might have happened and that these are being investigated.
“Our officers are working with licensed premises in order to alert them to spiking techniques and ask them to be extra vigilant.
“We take all reports seriously and encourage anyone who thinks they have been a victim or sprinkling in any form to get in touch with us.
Students plan to boycott nightclubs as part of nationwide protests. More than 30 universities are participating in the campaign to make venues more safe.
More than 130,000 people signed a petition calling for nightclubs to thoroughly search their customers upon arrival after reports of needle-spiking in Nottingham.
To raise awareness of the attacks, and to encourage security venues, those who take part in the boycott will be at home on a specific night.
According to The Alcohol Education Trust’s snap poll, new figures show that 15% of females, 71% of males, and 17% of those identifying themselves as other have had their drinks spiked.
The survey, which was open for a week from October 12 and had 747 responses, asked: ‘Do you think you have ever had one of your drinks spiked?’, with 94 replying yes and a further 26 saying ‘maybe’.
According to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information Rohypnol and GHB are two of the most prominent ‘date rape’ drugs used by criminals.
According to the NCBI, GHB can cause deep sleep as little as 2g – often a powdered drug that can be mixed into an alcoholic drink – in as little as 30 minutes.
The drug’s half-life is 27 minutes. It is nearly impossible to detect after 96hrs.
Experts warn Rohypnol can also be used as a powerful sedative, with legitimate uses such as a pre-anaesthetic and a sleeping pill.
It is used as a date rape drug and can be used to affect victims within ten minutes. The peak effect can occur eight hours later.
It is colorless, odourless, tasteless and causes sedation within 20-30 minutes of ingestion.
Many women have shared their experiences with being spiked. Ilana El-baz (20) recalled how she was left semi-paralysed’ while climbing a staircase three weeks ago after returning from a Bristol club.
Yesterday, two teenagers aged 18 and 19 were arrested in Nottingham ‘on suspicion’ of conspiracy to administer poison. Last night, a 35-year old man was arrested in Lincoln on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to distribute them.
This is after Kirsty Howells (25), was seen unconscious in a hospital bed following being ‘injected’ with Ketamine. She was one of many women who reported being’spiked’ in nightclubs.
Miss Howells posted this photo taken in hospital after a night in Swansea.
It was shared on Facebook by her aunt, who said Ms Howells is thought to have been ‘injected with ketamine’, before being rushed to A&E by her boyfriend.
Chief Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, Divisional Commander for Brighton, said officers are speaking to two victims who felt unwell after a night out in the city on Tuesday night, October 19, and the early hours of Wednesday morning, October 20
He stated that they suspect they were injected. They are being assisted by officers.
“We are still at an early stage of our investigation and many inquiries are being made.
We take all reports very seriously and encourage anyone who believes they were a victim or witness of spiking, to contact us. We encourage everyone to report any suspicious behaviour online, via 101 or by calling 999 in an urgent situation.
***Have you seen, heard or been targeted through spiking by injection? We would like to hear your story: Contact emer.scully@mailonline.co.uk***