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.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Sophie Smith -
8th November 2021 
