Figures revealing the amount of alleged drink and needle spiking has left a mother-of-two “sickened” by the reported cases.

Kelly Currie, 44, from Bushey, believes the amount is likely to be much higher because victims, especially men, are too scared to come forward.

Her comments follow Watford Observer’s Freedom of Information request into the number of spiking incidents in the borough of Watford.

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Hertfordshire Constabulary revealed that from September 2021 to August 2022, there have been 40 cases where a victim believed they had been spiked, but the force said they had found no "confirmed" cases during this timeframe.

Of these, 18 were alleged to be via drinks, 14 by needle spiking and eight were logged as unknown.

Mrs Currie has been raising awareness around spiking since her son, then aged 19, was allegedly spiked with a needle at Pryzm club in Watford in November 2021.

Commenting on the figures, she said: “It’s sickening.

“It is good that those people have come forward, but I do think it is a hell of a lot higher.

“When I posted about my son’s incident last year on Facebook so many people told me they had been spiked but hadn’t reported it.

“Some people feel a bit stupid, and men feel embarrassed to come forward.

“One man private messaged me and said he had been spiked, but he said he didn’t want to go to the police.”

Watford Observer: Her son was allegedly needle spiked in November 2021 at Pryzm nightclub in Watford. Her son was allegedly needle spiked in November 2021 at Pryzm nightclub in Watford. (Image: Kelly Currie and Stephen Danzig)

When Mrs Currie’s son was allegedly spiked with a needle, Pryzm said that “these incidents are incredibly rare” and that it takes “all reports of drink spiking very seriously”.

They added: “We have extensive CCTV coverage throughout the venue and our security teams wear bodycams and we will pass on footage to the police to help with any investigation.

“Anyone who is suspected of spiking will be detained and handed over to the police.”

However, at the time REKOM UK, which operates Pryzm and a series of nightclubs across the UK, said no-one has been caught with a needle in any of its clubs. 

Commenting on the latest figures, a police spokesperson said: “Although we have seen an increase in reports of suspected drink/needle spikings across the county, we have not had any confirmed cases in Hertfordshire during the specified timeframe.”

“Anyone who believes they may have been spiked should notify venue staff and contact police or health services as soon as possible.”

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