Teenage men and young woman reportedly spiked in Colchester

Essex Police are investigating three suspected cases of drinks being spiked at a venue in Head Street, Colchester.

The incidents, reported to the force during the early hours of Sunday, involved two men aged in their late teens and one woman aged in her 20s.

Although the investigation is in its early stages, officers have said there does not appear to be any evidence suggesting the victims were drugged by injection.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Our officers in Colchester have a strong relationship with our key partner agencies in the night-time economy.

“As a part of that ongoing work, we are working closely with licensed premises, with many working to put additional measures in place to keep their customers safe.

“The top priority of everyone involved is the safety of the people using pubs and clubs in the town.

“Anyone with information on these incidents or who believe they have experienced drinking spiking should contact us on 101 and ask to speak to Colchester CID.”

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The Gazette understands the trio of suspected spikings occurred inside the town centre's Walkabout.

When questioned on whether the bar was aware of the claims, a spokeswoman said: “We are assisting the police in their investigation of these allegations and will provide them with our CCTV footage.

“The safety of our guests and our team remains our number one priority and we continually review our safety and security procedures to ensure our customers and staff remain safe.

“We treat all allegations of spiking seriously and ask customers to bring this to our attention should they have concerns their drinks have been tampered with.”

The latest incidents come after Essex Police revealed they had arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of administering a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower to allow sexual activity.

The arrest came as part of a police probe investigating seven reports of spiking over five different nights in Colchester.

Last weekend’s reports also come just days after officers revealed they have received 15 reports of drink spiking in the town since August 7.

The force, however, claims none of those have involved the use of injections and at least 11 urine samples have returned negative results.

But some people have suggested any traces of drugs may have dissipated from victims’ systems before the tests were conducted.

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“We are aware there is increasing concern over alleged increases in spiking, and have, therefore, enhanced our measures,” the Walkabout spokeswoman added.

“We have employed guest support to assist any guests that are feeling vulnerable or unwell - these team members are easily identifiable, as they wear a neon armband.

“We have also enhanced security checks on our door and ask guests to remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious behaviour to one of our team immediately.”