'SO SCARY'
Teen ‘sick & disorientated’ after being injected with drug in her wrist on night out as cops arrest man over ‘spikings’
A TEENAGER was left “sick and disorientated” after she was injected with a drug while on a night out.
Leah Wolstenholme, 18, from Essex, was spiked while out clubbing in Nottingham with pals.
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Nottingham Trent University student Leah said that she had "barely" been drinking when she was targeted and left in a bad "state."
Her mum Karen was terrified after her daughter was injected with a drug while over two hours away.
Both Leah and her older sister Jemma have been spiked while out on nights out in a six month period.
Speaking on GMB Karen said: “It was about two o’clock in the morning and the phone rang.
“It’s that dreaded call as a parent when you know your children are away from home or out for a night.
“She was in a real panicked state, luckily she had some great friends with her who looked after her.
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“With the panic and everything I just asked her to calmly with her friends to go back to their halls and call an Uber and just go to hospital and let them help her.
“I was over two hours away as there wasn’t much I could have done really apart from that.
“She was very peaky, she was disorientated scared she felt sick and wasn’t Leah.
“She wasn’t talking any sense and just scared really.
“She didn’t notice, nothing at all, it was a surprise to her she had heard of this happening before but she didn’t think that it would happen to her.
“The mark was on her right wrist, it just it was just really scary it was a very scary moment.”
Jemma, who was targeted in August, added: “I think when it happened to me I was more scared. When it happened to my sister it made me really angry.
“She’d never been out clubbing really before and it was someone taking advantage of that in the first place.
“The fact that someone would do that to my litter sister and take this idea of her going out and enjoying her fresher’s just made me feel even more sick.”
The mark was on her right wrist, it just it was just really scary it was a very scary moment
Karen Wolstenholme
Jemma and Leah’s experience come after Nottingham Police arrested a man after a string of women reported being injected in the last fortnight.
He has since been bailed but cops are investigating two further incidents, although details of these have not yet been released.
The force said they were aware of a series of similar incidents taking place in the city where victims may have been "spiked physically".
Sarah Buckle, 19, reported that she had been out on Fresher’s Week with her friends when her hand started to throb.
The teenager started to vomit and almost collapse on a night out at a Nottingham nightclub on September 28.
She was rushed to hospital as another 19-year-old University of Nottingham student shared an almost identical story about being spiked with an injection.
Zara Owen had been out with friends at Pryzm nightclub on October 11 and can only recall the moment she entered the club and went to the bar.
The teen believes she may have been spiked after she suffered complete memory loss and a pain in her leg which she believes may have been from being injected by a needle.
SPATE OF ATTACKS
A third 19-year-old also believes she was preyed on in the city as she left Stealth nightclub on October 12.
Superintendent Kathryn Craner, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We are currently investigating reports of individuals suspecting that their drinks have been spiked.
"Linked to this a small number of victims have said that they may have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. Consequently, we are actively investigating all these reports.
"We are treating all of these incidents very seriously and are working with licensed premises and our partner agencies including the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham City Council and East Midlands Ambulance Service in undertaking thorough investigations."
Police Scotland also announced they were investigating a number of reports on social media regarding at least two cities concerning the spiking trend.
A third investigation has been launched after a woman claimed she was Fever & Boutique in Exeter on Saturday October 16.
'WIDER ISSUE'
Superintendent Antony Hart, local commander for Exeter, East and Mid Devon, said it is the only incident of its type that has been reported to police in Devon and Cornwall.
He added: "There has been a lot of media and social media coverage in relation to drink-spiking, plus the understandable fear following a woman being attacked with a needle in a bar in Nottingham.
"We are investigating an incident in Exeter and progressing inquiries to identify and arrest those responsible.
"Whilst assaults using needles are very rare, we ask that people are vigilant when in crowded spaces and notify premises staff or police of any suspicious behaviour.
"This incident has also raised the wider issue of drink-spiking and what can be done to combat this.
"Women must be able to feel safe across all aspects of their lives and that includes when out socialising.
"Those who think it's acceptable to assault women, whether that be verbally, subjecting them to physical attacks or by drink-spiking, must be challenged and will be brought to justice where a criminal offence has been committed.
"We are asking for the public to help us to tackle this issue head-on.
Women must be able to feel safe across all aspects of their lives and that includes when out socialising
Superintendent Antony Hart
"That means if you have witnessed something suspicious in a bar, then you must report this to door and bar staff immediately.
"We also need people who believe they have been spiked or assaulted to come forward to door staff and the police as soon as possible.
"Not only does this give us the best chance in catching those responsible, but it will also allow us to get medical treatment for the victim at the earliest opportunity."
The force is making drink testing kits available in bars across Devon and Cornwall and urine testing kits are also available in all police stations to allow officers to obtain evidence.
The spate of incidents has sparked an online petition calling for compulsory searches at nightclubs which has gained more than 100,000 signatures.
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Campaign groups have also encouraged students to boycott clubs in a bid to bring about "tangible" changes to ensure the safety of clubbers.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said they were "very concerned" about the flood of reports and called on the Home Office to work with the industry to tackle the problem.
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I was on a night out with pals when I collapsed - the next morning I discovered I had been 'spiked' with injection
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