The Spike Reportwas designed by two students from the University of Leeds and has already received over 160 reports of drink spiking and injectations.
After a reported increase in drink spiking and injections, affecting a disproportionate number of women on nights out, two Leeds students have created an innovative way of measuring reports.
The Spike Report is a community-led spiking database designed "to help keep you and your mates safe" by The Egalitarian, a gender equality publication.
The easy-to-navigate website allows anyone to report their experience of drink spiking and their experience, including the location in which the incident happened, in order to help others make informed choices about where they feel safe.
Writers from The Egalitarian, Elysia O'Neill and Della Claydon, felt it was important for others to know where these drink spiking incidents are taking place so that others can make informed choices.
They noted that there was nothing like this in place and started what they believe to be the first Spike Report in the UK.
"After recent incidents, we realised there was no viewable database on spikings in the UK. You can report an incident to the police, but you can’t view what others have reported."
The database has already received over 160 reports from varying locations in the UK, but largely within the north of England.
Reports are kept anonymous online to protect the identity of those reporting a spiking incident, but names and emails are retained to verify accounts.
Words of solidarity have flooded in online for those that have shared their stories on the platform:
"These break my heart because so many of them end in someone questioning themselves and whether it really happened. We've literally been taught to take responsibility for someone else's actions and shamed into gaslighting ourselves. These kinds of stories are so powerful".
The Spike Report comes after Leeds students made national headlines by organising Girls Night In, a protest against drink spiking and violence on nights out.
As a result of the protest, bars and clubs around Leeds city centre have changed their security policies to increase searches and create a safer environment for everyone.
The Spike Report will continue to track incidents, but they also hope to hold virtual events online in the future.
It is hoped that by giving a voice to those affected by drink spiking, the public will be able to identify if someone has been subjected to this crime and help to prevent incidents from occurring in the future.
To view the anonymous submissions or report a spiking incident, the page can be found on The Egalitarian here.
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for student nightlife
Clementine Hall
Our city is bursting at the seems with brilliant late night venues for students, but now it’s officially been confirmed.
And it's all down to accommodation provider Canvas who analysed key nightlife factors such as drink prices, the number and ratings of venues, and local safety scores to reveal the best cities in the UK for a night out.
If you've got Leeds as your student city of choice then you're in for a brilliant three years, as we ranked number four in the top ten list. Get in.
Leeds has a whopping 325 venues and a strong 4.40 average rating, drink prices are relatively affordable drinks with a pint costing an average of a fiver and soft drinks at £1.71.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds also came out with a solid safety score of 47.28, so it's fair to say Leeds it’s a well-rounded option for students.Bath took the top spot with 10 venues per 10,000 people and an impressive average rating of 4.45 stars.
Coming in second, Manchester boasts the highest number of bars and clubs overall, with 606 venues, 15 for every 10,000 people and a strong average rating of 4.37 stars and a pint costing slightly less than Bath at £5.50.
In third place was Newcastle and in fifth place was York. It's safe to say that the North dominated the top spots, and rightly so.
The top ten best cities for student nightlife in the UK are:
Sophie Smith -
8th November 2021 
