The battle to curb drink spiking continues in North Devon

No one should ever have to worry about being attacked when enjoying time with friends and family, which is why I continue to support tougher action against drink spiking.

Spiking is the act of giving someone alcohol or drugs without their knowledge or consent and can have a lifelong impact on victims.

Here in North Devon there are hard-working local community groups such as the Soroptimists and North Devon Against Domestic Abuse, both of whom have been at the forefront of raising awareness about violence against women and girls and the dangers of spiking.

I was a signatory to Richard Graham’s Spiking Bill which he presented on June 13.

The Soroptimists came and met with me last year to discuss their anti-spiking kits. These kits are given out to bars and clubs across Barnstaple for free and include Spikeys bottle tops and StopTopps for glasses.

Spikeys are fluorescent bottle stoppers that fit inside the top of a bottle and contain a small straw sized hole in the centre.

StopTopps are self-adhesive foil lids with a pre-cut straw hole which fit over glasses, bottles and cans. These are small but effective ways to stay cautious and help people feel safe when they are going out.

Before Christmas, I met with them to mark the start of the Sixteen Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Barnstaple Town Square. I also publicly thanked them and Conservative Braunton Rural Councillor Pru Maskell in Parliament for their work on spiking. 

In December, Home Office Safeguarding Minister, Laura Farris, set out new measures to prevent spiking. These measures include self-testing kits and increased support for bars and pubs, alongside coordinated police action which will make our hospitality venues safer and was glad to be in the Chamber to welcome them.

We have made significant progress and the Government will always do what is necessary to keep the public safe. I look forward to welcoming legal changes coming this year as part of the ongoing Criminal Justice Bill which will protect victims and bring offenders to justice.

For the first time there will be a clear legal guidance on spiking to ensure that perpetrators can face up to the maximum sentence of 10 years in in prison.

I look forward to the changes these measures will bring in, and hope that more people can enjoy our hospitality businesses with confidence.

Keeping North Devon safe is incredibly important. There are now more than 600 extra police across Devon and Cornwall and I am delighted that the Street Marshal’s scheme will be continuing this year.

The scheme started as part of the Government’s Safer Streets Fund, which provided Barnstaple with more than £500,000 to tackle antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls.

I saw how successful the scheme was last summer when I spoke to shop managers on Barnstaple High Street and the street marshals themselves.

Since then, I have been lobbying the Home Secretary and the Police and Crime Commissioner to extend the scheme as it is fantastic to see the tangible improvements that have been made to the town centre.

Please do be cautious when you are out and about and have a look at the ways you can keep yourself safe when out drinking.

The improvements made in North Devon, could not have happened without the hard work of community groups, volunteers, police and patrol staff who have all made such a positive difference in keeping out community safe, a huge thanks goes out to all of them.