Shrewsbury bars join forces to launch anti-spiking scheme

Chris Burt of The Shire Collection and Vince Dovey of 1st & Bowery

A group of bars, pubs and clubs have started a fresh campaign targeting the spiking of drinks.

The Shire Collection - which runs a number of premises in Shrewsbury - will offer free test strips to customers if they believe a drug has been put into their drink.

The strip works across a range of beverages and is activated within minutes, the group says.

It has been created to detect the drugs GHB and ketamine.

After being placed in a drink, if the pink patch turns blue it has picked up on traces of GHB, the Shire Collection said.

A drink with traces of ketamine will turn the yellow patch to orange.

Chris Burt, from the Shire Collection, told Radio Shropshire: "It can have massive implications for the person that has been spiked because they lose all confidence to go out.

"Equally you don't know what has been put in the drink itself."

• Listen on BBC Sounds to the Radio Shropshire interview

The group are partnering with 1st & Bowery - who supply such test strips - to run the campaign which will be trialled in Boujee Lounge and Havana.

'Aftermath can be horrific'

Mr Burt added: "It gives [customers] an added layer of security on an evening out that they're actually meant to be enjoying.

"The aftermath of something like that is horrific."

The test strips are used in conjunction with an app which will store and record any time a drink has been spiked.