Only two arrests and ZERO charges since drink and needle spiking saga first began in Northampton town centre in 2021

Not a single person has been charged by police in connection with drink spiking in Northampton town centre despite years of victim reports dating back to 2021.

This newspaper recently submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request to Northamptonshire Police asking how many people have reported being spiked in the town centre in 2023.

The data revealed that so far this year, up to June, there has been 29 reports of drink spiking and three reports of needle spiking, with only one arrest and zero charges made.

Drink spiking has been a pervasive issue in Northampton since September 2021, with police figures revealing that many young women have been the prime targets.

Operation Kalon was launched by police in 2021 to tackle drink and needle spikings in the town centre. Since its inception, the operation has seen two arrests made and zero people charged in total.

The two arrests include one last Thursday (June 29) where an 18-year was arrested and later bailed pending further inquiries, while the other arrest was made at an unnamed venue in Wellingborough Road in December 2022 which saw a 34-year-old man arrested but later released with no further action taken, according to police.

Asked why no one has yet been charged, police said: “Because we haven’t found the evidence so far which would be needed to secure a conviction if the case was brought before the courts. None of the quick test pots have shown the presence of spiking drugs and neither have the further toxicology tests we have done on some of the reported cases.”

Asked which venues have had the most reports of drink spikings this year, police said “it would be difficult to narrow down the reports of drink spiking to one venue as people often visit multiple venues in one evening”.

Despite no one being charged, officers say Operation Kalon is still “very much in progress”.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “Operation Kalon...is still very much in progress, and we have been working closely with venues across the county in order to make nights out as safe as possible for everyone.

“We now have quick test pots which those who have reported drink spiking can use immediately which allow us to detect the presence of spiking drugs. Thankfully, none so far have.

“We also have dedicated patrols as part of Operation Kayak which take place during the night-time economy and allow our officers to focus on spotting predatory behaviour and tackling it. This is complemented by the SNOvan which proactively seeks out vulnerable people on a night out and works to safeguard them from harm.

“Operation Kalon will continue to be in operation and anyone with any information about drink spiking is encouraged to contact us on 101. If you think you have been spiked, please seek medical attention immediately.”

Click here to view data from 2022.