Please be aware we’re making some improvements and building a new website. You can still report incidents, tell us about general intelligence or talk to us on live chat on this site. Thanks for your patience.

Spiking Drinks & Injections 2017-2021 - 1442/21

Date Responded 29 November 2021

Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')

As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.

You asked:

  1. How many reports of drink spiking have been reported to Northumbria Police in the past 5 years? Please separate into (a) 2017 (b) 2018 (c) 2019 (d) 2020 and (e) 2021 (January - October)
  2. How many reports of spiking by injection been reported to Northumbria Police in the past 5 years? Please separate into (a) 2017 (b) 2018 (c) 2019 (d) 2020 and (e) 2021 (January - October)
  3. For each report could you please provide the (a) age (b) gender (c) ethnicity of the victim.
  4. For each report could you please provide the location of the allegation.
  5. For each report could you please provide the outcome type of the investigation.

In Response:

Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Corporate Development Department of Northumbria Police.  I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.

 

I am able to disclose the located information to you as follows.

 

  • The results below are based on searches of the following offences:

- Administering poison so as to endanger life

- Use of noxious substances or things to cause harm and intimidate

- Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy

- Administering a substance with intent

  • We have also included cases wherein the Method-Means states Spiked Drink
  • It should be noted that drink spiking can take place in locations other than bars and nightclubs, for example domestic or residential homes.  These incidences will be included in this dataset.
  • Please note that some of the data has been presented in such a manner (in response to points 2, 3 and 4) as to avoid the application of exemptions relevant under the Act (Section 40 – Personal Information) to withhold, due to low numbers, and these will not be broken down further.

 

1.

Year

Count

2017

22

2018

38

2019

34

2020

34

2021

64

Total

192

 

2.

Year

Count

2017

-

2018

6

2019

2020

2021

14

Total

20

 

3.

Age Group

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  1 to 20

10

12

12

12

28

74

  21 to 25

2

6

6

3

18

35

  26 to 30

-

7

2

2

3

14

  31 to 35

-

6

2

3

4

15

  36 to 50

7

3

7

11

5

33

  51 to 85

5

4

2

5

16

  Not recorded

5

5

Injection

2

4

14

20

  11 to 60

2

4

14

 

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

 

Gender

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  Male

5

13

13

14

18

63

  Female

16

25

21

19

45

126

  Unknown

3

3

Injection

2

18

20

  Male

-

-

-

3

3

  Female

2

3

12

17

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

 

Ethnicity

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  Asian

3

3

  Black

-

-

-

-

2

2

  White - North European

22

35

30

32

50

169

  White - South European

2

2

  Other/Unknown

16

16

Injection

2

4

14

20

  White - North European/

Other/Unknown

2

4

14

20

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

 

4.

Location – Area Command

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  Northern

4

10

4

9

9

36

  Central

16

19

24

15

44

118

  Southern

2

9

6

10

11

38

Injection

6

14

20

  Northern

4

4

  Central

3

10

13

  Southern

-

-

-

-

3

3

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

Location

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  Bar/Public House/Nightclub

16

22

14

14

49

115

  Dwelling

5

10

15

12

10

52

  Care Home/Hospital/ Hotel/ Metro Train/

  Outdoor location/Restaurant/School

  Premises/ Shop/Snooker Club/Street/Student

  Accommodation/ Workplace

7

5

8

5

25

Injection

2

4

14

20

  Bar/Public House/ Nightclub /Dwelling/

  Outdoor location

2

4

14

20

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

 

5.

Outcome

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Drink

22

38

34

34

64

192

  Caution adult

3

3

  Evidential difficulties

6

11

8

5

3

33

  Investigation complete - no suspect identified

10

20

16

17

17

80

  Offender deceased

2

2

  Victim declines or is unable to identify suspect

4

 

7

3

5

23

  Victim does not support police action

6

7

4

17

  Not stated

-

-

-

-

34

34

Injection

-

64

14

20

  Evidential difficulties

2

2

  Investigation complete - no suspect identified

4

4

  Victim declines or is unable to identify suspect/

  Victim does not support police action

3

3

  Not stated

-

-

-

-

11

11

Total

22

39

35

38

78

212

back to top