Guidance

Spiking: information for venues and festival organisers

Published 21 December 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spiking-information-for-venues-and-festival-organisers/spiking-information-for-venues-and-festival-organisers

Businesses where spiking might take place, such as bars and clubs, have an important role to play in preventing spiking and helping victims when it happens.​

Help the victim

Your staff should help someone who has been spiked. The victim may not be able to get medical help or call the police, and the people with them may be focused on helping them.  ​

Safeguarding the victim should be your priority. You must always act if a spiking incident is reported to you. Do not be judgemental towards the victim – only the perpetrator is at fault.​

​If someone has been spiked in your venue, your staff should:​

  • check whether the victim needs any medical support, and arrange it if they do
  • find their friends
  • find them a safe space, away from crowds, if they need one
  • help them to get home safely
  • call the police, if that has not already been done

Help the police

Once you know that the victim is getting the support they need, you should do what you can to make it easier for the police to find the perpetrator and build a case against them.​

The perpetrator might still be in the venue. Tell security and see if you can work out who it is. Gather as much information as you can for the police.​

​Your venue may have the crucial evidence that the police need to bring a case. You must keep this evidence: secure all affected drinks, containers and contaminated clothing.

Check your CCTV cameras and keep the footage.

Help prevent spiking

Speak to your local police – they can advise you on the best approach to take if a spiking incident happens.​

Make sure that your CCTV cameras work effectively and that you keep the footage.​

Display anti-spiking information

Display clear information in your establishment that spiking will never be tolerated and will always be reported to the police.  ​

​There are posters that you can download to display in your venue and social media materials you can use:

The Enough campaign also provides information on spiking organisations which offer UK-wide support, and has a partnership with universities across the UK where spiking prevention materials such as posters and social media materials are also used.​

Training

Arrange training on spiking for all your staff – including door and security staff, and bar staff – so that they know how to recognise spiking and what to do when it happens. 

All door supervisors who hold a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will soon be required to do mandatory spiking training.

The Home Office will be providing up to £250,000 of funding for a programme to train staff in the night-time economy. The training will raise awareness and help staff to spot the signs of someone who may have been spiked. It will also help them to support victims, prevent spiking incidents, and help the police collect evidence. ​

​The Safer Business Network, supported by the SIA, is delivering an e-learning package of Welfare and Vulnerability (WAVE) training for security businesses, which includes a module on spiking.​

What else you can do

There are other practical measures you can take:​

  • ​remove unattended glasses​
  • ​do not promote rapid consumption​
  • ​be alert to unusual requests​
  • make available anti-spiking bottle stoppers and protective drink covers for those who want them

Festivals and events

Spiking can also happen at festivals and events – all of the advice on this page applies at these venues too. ​

There are additional things that you can do to prevent spiking happening, or to tackle it if it does:​

  • display awareness posters about spiking in all of your bars​
  • put anti-spiking messages on your social media channels and in communications to your audiences before the festival begins
  • put anti-spiking messages on digital screens during events
  • train your bar and event staff​
  • have medical and welfare teams on site, with precise plans about how to respond to a spiking incident​
  • create clear event management plans and communicate them to all festival staff
  • work with your local police force and understand how incidents can be reported, especially if police are unlikely to have a presence on-site
  • make physical spiking prevention measures available, such as drink toppers, for those who want them

The Association of Independent Festivals launched its Safer Spaces at Festivals initiative in 2017 and relaunched it in 2022. The initiative is a campaign and a charter of best practice, to which over 100 festivals have signed up. The charter sets out the sector’s commitment to tackling sexual violence, harassment and assault at their events.​

More resources

There are more resources to help you:

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