Spiking epidemic prompts summit on night time safety in Wales

Martin Shipton

Just eight out of 656 spiking-related incidents reported to North Wales Police since 2021 have led to a criminal charge, it has been revealed.

Since January 2025, none of the 188 reported incidents of drink- and needle-spiking have resulted in charges.

Nearly half the cases were closed with no suspect identified, and in 88 cases a suspect was named and the victim supported action, but the case was still closed because of evidential difficulties.

Campaigners say one charge for every 82 reported spiking-related incidents is firm evidence that enforcement measures are not working.

On Monday, October 12, Wales’ first night-time economy safety summit will take place at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells. The event, which will run from 9.30am to 3.30pm, will be organised by the campaign group Stamp Out Spiking, in partnership with Powys County Council.

Spiking is a Wales-wide issue: Gwent’s Police and Crime Commissioner has warned spiking is under-reported, and five years ago this month four women reported being spiked by injection at two venues on Swansea’s Wind Street, ending up in A&E.

The summit will be led by Stamp Out Spiking founder Dawn Dines, joined by Martyn’s Law campaigner Figen Murray and Ask for Angela founder Hayley Crawford.

Sign-up is free for anyone with an interest in keeping Wales’s night-time economy safe, from Wrexham and Pontypridd to Cardiff’s St Mary Street and Swansea’s Wind Street.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April, creates a specific new offence covering spiking. Now campaigners want that change in the law to translate into justice for victims.

Ms Dines, whose 20-year campaign helped secure the new spiking offence, will set out how Wales can close the gap between reporting and justice.

Spiking is only part of the picture. Also on the agenda is night-time safety more widely, from how venues prepare for the worst to how anyone who feels unsafe can get help quickly.

Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, led the campaign for Martyn’s Law, which requires venues hosting 200 or more people to prepare for a terror attack. She will speak about preparedness and partnership, and what it takes to turn personal tragedy into national change.

Hayley Crawford founded Ask for Angela, the codeword scheme that lets anyone who feels unsafe quietly ask venue staff for help. Ten years on, she will set out what it has achieved and why venues still need it.

Dawn Dines will then lead a multi-agency panel on how Wales can work together to make its night-time economy safer, followed by an open Q&A with the experts. With time to network and collaborate throughout the day, everything discussed will feed into a joined-up, Wales-wide approach to night-time safety.

‘Set the standard’

Dawn Dines said: “The night-time economy is so much more than pubs and clubs. It’s the nurse finishing a late shift, the taxi driver on the rank, the student walking home and the family at a community event, and every one of them deserves to feel safe. Wales has a real opportunity to set the standard, and it’s a privilege to be co-hosting this event with Powys County Council at the Royal Welsh.

“This is Wales’s chance to shape what safety and justice after dark look like. Be part of the conversation.”

Register at: https://en.powys.gov.uk/NTEC

North Wales Police figures were released on October 2, 2026 in response to a Freedom of Information request, and cover January 2021 to September 2026.

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