A HORRIFIED councillor who told how his daughter was spiked while on a night out in Colchester has called for the “barbaric act” to be treated as attempted murder.

Simon Crow, Colchester councillor responsible for the environment, told a meeting of the authority’s cabinet the thought of drink spiking “fills him with a cold fury” due to his own personal experience with the “premeditated” crime.

He made the comments as the council’s cabinet revealed it is working with neighbouring authorities on a safety campaign to highlight the dangers of spiking.

Read more: Council to push nightlife safety campaign to encourage 'precautions' 

Mr Crow said he wanted to speak as a councillor for the town centre, as a cabinet member “and as a father”.

“Five years ago my eldest daughter was in town one Saturday night and at about 2am I got a phone call from a stranger who had got my number from her phone and was tending to her,” he said.

“I had to get dressed and rush into town.

“I found my daughter lying on the pavement in the High Street, with this very kind girl looking after her.

“It was explained to me by this girl and the door staff at the venue she was near that they believed she’d been spiked.

“It’s quite horrific that anyone would do that to another human being, to actually slip something in their drink or this latest thing we’ve been reading about of injecting people, it’s absolutely beyond the pale.”

Last week a 42-year-old student nurse was the latest in a long line of victims to report they had been been spiked while on a night out in Colchester.

Read more: 'I was like a tranquilised animal' - Nurse and mother believes she was spiked

Officers from Colchester CID are pursuing a number of investigations into the spiking reports.

One man has been arrested and released on bail until December 29.

A spokesman for the force said: “If you have any information please call us on 101.”

Mr Crow called for harsher sanctions for people caught spiking drinks.

He said: “It’s premeditated, the people who are doing this are buying these drugs.

“It’s a premeditated crime which I personally think should be treated as attempted murder.

"Certainly having had it happen in my own family, the thought of it fills me with absolute cold fury at these deplorable people who commit this absolutely barbaric act.”