Greater Manchester Police takes proactive measures to combat spiking during festive season

In a collaborative effort to enhance community safety and raise awareness about the risks associated with drink spiking, Greater Manchester Police officers joined forces with the forcewide crime prevention team in the heart of Manchester.

Officers and the crime prevention team took to the streets to proactively patrol the city centre, engaging with the public and providing education on the issue of spiking during the festive season.

The initiative was put into action to equip local residents and visitors to the city centre with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves and others, emphasising the importance of recognising signs of spiking and taking preventive measures, and more importantly how to report these incidents to the police, including maintaining any evidential opportunities where possible.

In partnership with the charity StopTopps, GMP funded the purchase of 5000 foil top drink lids which are versatile drink protectors designed to deter spikers. These lids are being distributed to busy and hotspot areas across Greater Manchester's night-time economies. The foil top lids are suitable for any drinking vessel commonly found in pubs and clubs, including cans, bottles, and glasses.

Furthermore, GMP's Crime Prevention Team secured further funding for 1500 personal safety packs in September 2023. These packs included drink spiking prevention items such as bottle tops, glass tops, and test strips. 

Officers and staff across the force distributed these packs at events such as University freshers’ events and to official safe spaces contributing to the overall goal of creating a safer environment for everyone in Greater Manchester.

To complement the efforts in Manchester city centre, posters displaying crime prevention advice have been prominently displayed in venues and hotspot areas reaching a wide audience. 1000 leaflets were also distributed by officers and staff to provide further information on how individuals can protect themselves from drink spiking.

Recently, officers in the city centre engaged with the public throughout the night, offering valuable advice on the detrimental effects of spiking, how to recognise potential instances, and crucial steps to take to ensure personal safety.

This forcewide initiative has been designed to highlight the importance of personal safety, promptly reporting incidents to police, ensuring evidential opportunities are secured, and outlining the support available to those affected by spiking.

Kate O'Connor, GMP's Crime Prevention Team said: "Our recent initiatives serve as a testament to the commitment of our officers and staff in the City Centre team and across the force, dedicated to protecting those who live and visit night-time economy hotspots in Greater Manchester. In partnership with StopTopps charity, we are currently distributing a number of preventative materials including foil lids and personal safety packs and from our recent evening of action, we distributed 200 foil lids in total in one night in Manchester City Centre with many more to be distributed across the force in the coming weeks running up to Christmas and New Year celebrations. We go beyond simply distributing materials; our aim is to equip the public with vital knowledge and practical information on addressing incidents of drink spiking. We want to empower individuals to help those affected, understand how to report such incidents to police, and access the necessary support and guidance. This enables us to support victims and take swift action against perpetrators of spiking promptly and effectively.”

Report and Support

There is no time limit on reporting spiking; whether it just happened or occurred a while ago, individuals are encouraged to come forward.

If you or someone you know has been spiked, you can report incidents through the GMP website LiveChat on our 'report' page or by calling 101.

In case of emergency, always call 999.

You can also report online using our online reporting portal.

This reporting portal will help you report spiking offences, including drink spiking, needle spiking, food spiking, vape or e-cigarette spiking, or an attempted spiking.

You can also report crimes that happened because of a spiking incident, such as sexual assault, theft or violent offences using this service.

For more information on medical help and support organisations that can support you, please visit our support page.