Two men arrested on suspicion of spiking by injection and in drinks

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A pair of men have been arrested on suspicion of spiking people both by injection and via drinks whilst on nights out.

The arrests took place in Sussex and come following a number of reports of women being spiked by injection whilst in nightclubs, prompting boycotts of venues across the country.

One man, a 28-year-old from Hove, was arrested on Sunday and is alleged to have administered poison with intent to injure.

The other is a 19-year-old man from Brighton. He was arrested on Monday morning on suspicion of the same offence.

Both men are currently on bail whilst inquiries continue, said to a Sussex Police spokesman.

He said: “Police have received a number of recent reports of people becoming unwell during or after nights out, with some finding puncture marks on their body or believing their drink had been tampered with.”

The spokesman went on to add that officers had “increased patrols” as part of their work policing the nighttime economy.

He explained: “These include unannounced licence checks at venues, briefings with security staff prior to opening and targeted, visible patrols around bars, clubs and restaurants every night of the week.”

Chief Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, divisional commander for Brighton and Hove, said: “We continue to work around the clock to investigate these troubling reports and will do everything in our power to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“Please be assured that we take all reports incredibly seriously and ask anybody who believes they may have been a victim to let police or bar staff know as soon as possible so they can be tested before potential drugs leave their system and evidence can be gathered.”