'My drink was spiked - now I have a brain injury'

A woman from Bristol is suffering from a brain injury after a suspected drink spiking incident on a night out.

Within a few hours of Simone White, 43, going out with friends, she started to feel "very strange", before collapsing and being rushed to hospital suffering with seizures.

It has been more than a week since the incident, and the mother-of-three says she still cannot speak properly and is struggling to walk.

A consultant told her it is likely she suffered a functional neurological disorder.

Ms White, from Bradley Stoke, has undergone scans which will determine how long-lasting her symptoms will be.

She is speaking out about her ordeal to raise awareness, and stop the same thing happening to someone else.

"I never thought this would happen to me," she said. "I'm 43, I was out with friends with family involved, we were in a safe environment - or so I thought.

"I have very little recollection of what happened.

"I don't understand why this happened to me. I wasn't mugged, no one followed me."

After she started to feel strange, she left her friends in search for 18-year-old son who was at a nearby bar.

She says she cannot remember what happened next.

Her partner George, 53, was called by strangers who found Simone on Bristol Bridge, near Castle Park.

"I was scared - and I never get scared," he said.

"I was at home. They called me over Facebook to say they were with Simone and she had collapsed.

"I got there in about 15 minutes. I found her in a very aggravated state."

They spent the night at A&E, where Ms White suffered repeated seizures.

Doctors told them the effects of the drug would steadily stop. But, days later, she says she is still unable to talk without stumbling over her words.

The couple have been told to expect the results from the MRI scan early next week.

"This has not only physically harmed me, it's emotionally harmed me," said Ms White.

"I don't know for sure what the diagnosis is and if it's going to affect me long-term.

"I won't be able to process it until I know."

The self-employed cleaner is currently unable to work, and doctors have told her not to drive.

Police are now investigating and have urged witnesses to come forward.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: "We're investigating an incident in which a woman required hospital treatment in a suspected spiking incident while visiting a bar in Bristol.

"She had been with a friend in Bristol city centre between 4pm and 6pm on Saturday 4 May before falling unwell and being taken to hospital.

"Officers are keen to hear from anyone who has information that could help the investigation, particularly anyone who was at Tonight Josephine in Baldwin Street between 4pm and 5pm that day."

A spokesperson for Tonight Josephine said they have "CCTV in all of their venues", spiking kits behind bars and "staff are all trained to work with anyone who feels under threat in anyway".

"We are aware of an incident that is alleged to have taken place in Bristol last Saturday and can confirm that the victim did visit one of our bars late Saturday afternoon," the spokesperson said.

They added that staff had reviewed the bar's "comprehensive" CCTV and concluded that Ms White's drink had not been tampered with.

Tonight Josephine encouraged other bars the woman might have attended that evening to also review their own CCTV footage.

The spokesperson added: "It is awful that spiking does happen and we must continue to do all that we can to protect our customers so that they are free to enjoy themselves on their precious nights out.

"We are devastated to learn of the potentially long-lasting effects that this might have on the victim."

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Emergency Medicine at the University of Bristol Dr Tom Roberts said: “As A&E departments in the UK don’t routinely test for what drugs have been used following a suspected drink spiking it is challenging to know what the long-term consequences may be.

"However, the vast majority of patients have an acute illness that will then pass within 12-24 hours.

"We require further research to investigate the longer-term physical and psychological harm that result from spiking.”

A spokesperson from the Home Office said: "Spiking is an appalling crime which can have a lasting impact on victims, and we are committed to tackling it.

"Anyone who commits spiking faces up to 10 years behind bars.

"We are also modernising existing laws on spiking, making clear - without any doubt - that this is illegal and bringing it further in line with the nature and threat of the offence today."

Almost 20,000 reports of spiking were received in the past five years by 39 police forces that responded to Freedom of Information requests sent out by Channel 4.

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