NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Shocking clip shows worrying spiking injection 'epidemic' sweeping UK

By Rebekah Scanlan
news.com.au·
24 Oct, 2021 11:25 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Her boyfriend filmed her on the stairs at home, her eyes rolling and 'completely paralysed'. Photo / Facebook

Her boyfriend filmed her on the stairs at home, her eyes rolling and 'completely paralysed'. Photo / Facebook

An alarming number of women are reporting being "spiked by a needle" in a worrying epidemic sweeping the UK.

British police have received hundreds of reports of drink-spiking in the past two months with many more appearing on social media as women bravely share their stories to warn others.

Many of the alleged attacks involve terrifying accounts of women being pricked by a needle while at a bar or nightclub and quickly being left in "paralysed" states.

As a result, British Home Secretary Priti Patel has ordered an urgent update from police on the spiking "epidemic", The Sun reports.

Student Ilana El-baz, 20, shared shocking footage of herself "completely paralysed" after allegedly being spiked during a night out in Bristol with friends three weeks ago.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Her boyfriend filmed her on the stairs at home, her eyes rolling and 'completely paralysed'. Photo / Facebook
Her boyfriend filmed her on the stairs at home, her eyes rolling and 'completely paralysed'. Photo / Facebook

The clip shows her slumped on a staircase as she struggled to climb the steps, her head leaning on the railings as her eyes roll backwards.

Her boyfriend recorded the horrifying episode and the University of Bristol student allowed the BBC to broadcast the clip to show the dangers of spiking.

Ilana believes she was spiked by a fellow clubber who approached her and asked her to dance.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The moment I told him I was with my boyfriend he left me completely," she said

"An hour later I went back home and it hit and I was completely paralysed."

Another woman, Rebecca Derbyshire, found a needle mark after feeling "something sharp go into my shoulder" while waiting to be served at a bar during a hen do.

Rebecca Derbyshire found a needle mark after feeling 'something sharp' go into her shoulder while waiting at a bar. Photo / Facebook
Rebecca Derbyshire found a needle mark after feeling 'something sharp' go into her shoulder while waiting at a bar. Photo / Facebook

The 26-year-old credited a quick-acting friend for helping when she started feeling "sick and drowsy" in Liverpool.

Rebecca described feeling a "really unusual sensation" while on a night out, telling her friend, "I think I've just been injected".

She reported the alleged injection assault to police after seeing reports of similar needle attacks, and said that it was shocking to "think about what could have happened if my friend hadn't been there".

Social media has also been flooded with videos of women sharing similar accounts and the suspected injection wounds.

Tik Tok user @isabelladortax shared a pin prick mark on her leg surrounded by bruising asking: "Is this real? Is this actually happening in England right now?"

A TikTok user's video showing a pin prick mark on her leg surrounded by bruising has been viewed millions of times. Photo / TikTok/@isabelladortax
A TikTok user's video showing a pin prick mark on her leg surrounded by bruising has been viewed millions of times. Photo / TikTok/@isabelladortax

Almost 200 drink spiking incidents have been reported to police forces across the UK over the past two months, the UK's National Police Chiefs' Council said on Friday.

The NPCC said there have been 198 confirmed reports of drink spiking in September and October across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus 24 reports of some form of injection, with the policing body stating the majority of cases involved young women at licensed premises and at private parties, The Guardian reported.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Despite police taking reports seriously, there have been no arrests or charges laid, and fear among women is high.

One social media user said it was "terrifying women have to protect themselves from danger at every angle" while another wrote: "We already have to cover our drinks, now we have to wear body armour when we leave the house".

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

Premium
World

Trump's high-stakes gamble on Iran's nuclear sites

22 Jun 05:43 AM
live
World

Trump warns Iran against retaliation after US strikes

22 Jun 04:17 AM
World

Kiwi man charged after cocaine blocks found in suitcase at Sydney Airport

22 Jun 04:16 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Premium
Trump's high-stakes gamble on Iran's nuclear sites

Trump's high-stakes gamble on Iran's nuclear sites

22 Jun 05:43 AM

New York Times: Trump ordered B-2 bombers to target Iran's nuclear sites early on Sunday.

Trump warns Iran against retaliation after US strikes
live

Trump warns Iran against retaliation after US strikes

22 Jun 04:17 AM
Kiwi man charged after cocaine blocks found in suitcase at Sydney Airport

Kiwi man charged after cocaine blocks found in suitcase at Sydney Airport

22 Jun 04:16 AM
Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters on US bombing of Iran

Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters on US bombing of Iran

Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP