Quarter of women get drinks spiked

One in four young women who regularly go to pubs and clubs have had their drinks spiked, according to the first national survey of the crime.

It revealed that as many as 30 women a week become potential rape victims after their drinks are interfered with. The number of such rapes is not known because victims have little or no recollection of events.

The survey, covering 2003, shows many women had no memory of what happened to them, either waking up with a strange man or being taken home by friends.

The crime is very difficult to prove as traces of the drugs can disappear from the body within 12 hours. Rohypnol and GHB are most associated with drug-rape and drink-spiking. Researchers found that under-25s were most vulnerable.

Only 15 men have been convicted for drug-facilitated rape over the past five years. Channel 4's Dispatches and The Guardian interviewed 750 women in 16 cities.

The documentary Spikes will be screened on Channel 4 on Monday at 8pm.