Universities told to crack down on spiking after ‘brazen’ attacks on students

A recent survey suggested 11% of students believed they had had their drinks spiked. Photograph: Andrew Catterall/Alamy

Universities are to be required to introduce policies by the end of the year to crack down on drink and needle spiking, amid concern about increasingly brazen attacks on students.

Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said she had seen the impact of spiking first-hand and that it was a horrific crime that she was determined to stamp out in higher education.