A SURGE of spiking reports in bars and nightclubs across the country are being dealt with by the highest command at Police Scotland

Detectives are pursuing every report put to the force through a gold command, which has been set up in response to concerning allegations of spiking by injection on nights out. 

As inquiries into the crimes remain ongoing, ambulance crews have been advised to ensure that cases of spiking are brought to the attention of officers.

A statement from Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, reads: "Scottish Government officials have been, and continue to be, in daily contact with Police Scotland on recent reports of spiking. 

"Police Scotland are pursuing every single report of spiking through a gold command established on this issue and led by an Assistant Chief Constable - which is reaching out to universities, licensed premises, Public Health Scotland, and victim support organisations. 

"Police Scotland have also established connections with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that any spiking cases are brought to their attention."

Tomorrow, Brown is expected to meet hospitality bosses, victim support organisations and police to discuss ways on how to tackle the “scourge of this horrific 
behaviour”.

Glasgow Times: MSP Monica LennonMSP Monica Lennon

Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon has called for a "zero-tolerance approach" to be introduced to ensure the safety of women on nights out. 

She said: "The roundtable on Thursday is an opportunity to bring key agencies together, and survivors should be represented.

"While public information campaigns and venue safety measures are important, the responsibility lies with perpetrators to stop hurting people.

"We know that women are most likely to be the victims of spiking, usually at the hands of men. There needs to be a zero-tolerance approach. Women should be able to have a night out without fearing for their safety.”

READ MORE: Safety measures ramped up at Glasgow nightclub after woman is 'spiked by injection'

In the meantime, the Scottish Government is currently considering whether a specific offence to tackle misogyny is needed to combat such crimes. 

A dedicated group has been appointed by officials to investigate patterns of misogynistic behaviour. Their findings will be reported in February next year. 

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "As the Scottish Government has made clear, more needs to be done to tackle the underlying root causes of these types of harmful behaviours predominantly carried out by men. 

"This is why we have set up a Working Group on Misogyny to consider whether a specific offence to tackle misogyny is needed. The Group, chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, will report in February next year.

“We have invested over £23 million in violence prevention since 2008, including a school-based peer mentoring programme helping young people to speak up against gender-based violence and the negative societal attitudes which underpin it.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans will chair an urgent round table this week with relevant interests including justice agencies and representatives of the hospitality trade to discuss how best to achieve the right targeted and universal interventions to address the scourge of this horrific behaviour.”  

READ MORE: Police probe spiking by injection report in Glasgow club

It comes after a probe was launched last week into reports of alleged spiking by injection in a Glasgow nightclub.

The Glasgow Times understands that the incident - which took place in the early hours of Thursday - took place at a venue in the city centre. 

It is also understood several young women attended an accident and emergency department to be checked over by medics after at least one believed she had been the victim of an attempted spiking.

It is the latest report of women being targeted in Glasgow nightclubs. 

Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton, said: "We continue to investigate a number of reports across the country from people who report having been ‘spiked’ either with a needle or in their drink.

“We are also aware of posts referring to spiking incidents circulating on social media.

"Our enquiries are ongoing and at this time we do not believe that these reports are linked.

"Each year we receive a small number of reports of what can be termed spiking, with a small but notable increase in October and November.

“We are not always able to determine the reasons why a perpetrator carries out an assault in this way, and it may not always be for a sexual purpose. It can put people at significant risk of harm. We will take every report extremely seriously and investigate robustly.

“People should be able to go out for a night out without fear of being spiked. We are working with a range of partners, locally and nationally to ensure pubs and clubs are safe spaces for all. This includes working with licensees.

"Anyone who reports having their drink spiked or has been assaulted by whatever means will be taken seriously."

Anybody who believes they have had their drink spiked or been assaulted in this nature should contact Police Scotland on 101 or in an emergency, 999.