Colchester spiking reports: Night of action in town centre

Teams of officers with Colchester’s community policing team utilised two of the force’s drug sniffer dogs to patrol queues of revellers waiting to enter the town centre’s bustling pubs and bars.

Officers with the town’s Military Police were on hand to offer support with patrols, while a mobile knife arch was set up in three locations across the town centre to detect and deter the carrying of blades.

One arrest was made and a weapon was seized during Friday night’s operation.

Police officers, who were joined by Colchester councillors and MP Will Quince, checked 30 licensed premises in the town centre.

Two small amounts of cannabis were also seized and nine stop and search warrants were carried out.

At a briefing at Colchester police station, officers were told the operation was not just about offering reassurance over recent reports of drink spiking.

Read more: Town bars and clubs are 'doing everything they can' to protect drinkers from spiking

The briefing was told: “This is an operation on the night-time economy using high-visibility policing, plain clothes police officers and partnership agencies to target knife crime, anti-social behaviour, drugs, spiking and to enforce licensing powers.

“The operation is intended to reduce violence carried out by those who have pre-loaded on drink and drugs before heading out into the town. This builds on research to suggest the mix of these two substances is a driver for violent crime.”

Working with council wardens, officers also identified vulnerable rough sleepers to deliver help and support, visiting off-licences, car parks and takeaway restaurants, as well as the town’s pubs and clubs.

Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, Colchester’s district commander, told the briefing “reassurance is key”.

District commander Rob Huddleston

He said: “Make sure you’re putting the message across that spiking is being taken really seriously and this is a multi-agency response to the reports we’ve had.

“We are very, very keen people take some responsibility for themselves as well, so talk to people if they’re out in a group and one is straggling at the back – remind them they need to look after their mates.

“If people are exhibiting any symptoms and you think their intoxication is not down to just alcohol, make sure we treat them as victims, make sure we get them the right medical attention really early on.

“According to social media there’s been thousands and thousands of drink spikings in Colchester alone, according to us there’s been 93 in just over 18 months.

“People are not reporting it or people are telling people on social media they’ve been spiked when potentially they haven’t. It is really, really key we offer that reassurance.”

Read more: Arrest made, drugs and weapon seized after police patrol in town

On spiking, Sgt Tom Thrower, who leads the town centre team, said: “The issue for us is always going to be how can we say what is intoxication at the scene, what’s intoxication and what’s not?

“We have to look at what their friends say, what they say, who they’ve been with. At what point does an officer say this is spiking as opposed to just normal intoxication behaviour?”

Before heading out across the town, officers gathered with volunteer town pastors, who offer help to those who need it, representatives of North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group and Colchester councillors.

Darius Laws, Colchester councillor responsible for the economy and business, said: “You’ve got elected councillors and senior management on the borough council here as well, so this is an amazing example of partnership working.

“The council has statutory obligations as the licensing authority, but we’re going above and beyond that and working with the police and the CCG to find out how venues can be supported to make sure patrons are safe, happy and confident about their night out.

“Thankfully incidents of drink spiking that can be confirmed are actually low, but one case is one case too many.

“It’s great to have the dogs out here, the knife arch out here, knife crime is unfortunately a persistent problem for the country.”