Drink-spiking cases in Britain have more than doubled in just three years

Britain is in the grip of a drink-spiking epidemic with offences by would-be sex attackers and robbers more than doubling in three years.

Police forces reported 1,039 cases last year - with the county of Kent suffering a disturbing near six fold surge from eight in 2015 to 53 in 2017.

But experts say those figures are just a tip of the iceberg with the Home Office having no official database for recording the lacing of drinks.

And they add just a tiny proportion of crimes ever get reported after victims manage to get home safely despite being under the influence of memory-wiping drugs such as rohypnol, LSD and GHB.

Such crimes are not new, with London black cap rapist John Worboys jailed in 2012 for drugging the drinks of 12 women with cops suspecting he targeted hundreds more.

However, Freedom of Information figures from 38 of the 45 UK police forces that responded show a 108% increase in crimes that involve lacing or spiking drinks - commonly known as a Micky Finn.

In London's Met the figure soared from 103 cases to 179, but Kent was hit by the most disturbing hike.

The force has introduced an 'ask for angela' code which can be used to discreetly tell bar staff they feel under threat.

Kent's Chief Supt Andy Pritchard blamed the dramatic increase on the way such crimes are recorded without back-up medical evidence, and can include a drink laced with too much alcohol.

He added: "Do not accept drinks from strangers and do not leave your drink unattended."

Detective Inspector Daniel Boulter of the rape and sex attack unit in Lincolnshire - which saw four incidents in 2017 - said the vast majority were not reported after an intended victims got home safely with help.

His force has teamed with the county council to launch a drugs-in-drink drink testing kit in bars.

Kit inventor Jim Campbell, a former Home Office toxicologist, also claimed the figures were a "drop in the ocean" with people feeling they have no evidence to make a formal complaint.

He added: "Victims feel like they won't be believed. They rack their brains to figure out what happened the night before, but because of the effects of the drugs they can't remember. They need answers."