A young woman left ill for several days after her drink was spiked on a night out says venues need to take more responsibility after bouncers "kicked her out for being drunk".

Olivia Calvert, 19, was out with a friend at the Casino Rooms in Rochester and was having her second drink when she started feeling ill, suffering hot flushes, being sick and struggling to stand up.

She says when security came over she was told to leave and escorted from the town centre club before being left outside on the street.

But after remaining unresponsive, confused and unable to walk, an ambulance was called by Olivia's friend who also raised concerns with a bouncer at the venue to say she had been spiked.

Speaking about the incident on the night of October 22, Olivia's mum, Hannah Calvert, says her daughter's friend was dismissed by first-aid trained door staff who said "No, she's just drunk" when she told them Olivia had been drugged.

Olivia, from Rainham, struggled to eat for about five days after the incident due to pains in her body and was vomiting throughout the following day.

Now Hannah says she's worried about her daughter going out after reports of spiking incidents have increased at the Rochester club and says tougher measures and understanding is needed from security staff.

'I dread to think what could have happened to her if she hadn’t had such a good friend stay with her. I think I will worry so much more from now.'

This weekend, another five reported incidents were shared by young women who had gone out over the Halloween period and were reporting similar symptoms and after-effects but a police spokesman said none had been reported to the force.

Police have confirmed an investigation has been launched into the incident involving Olivia but say they have not been able to identify any suspects.

Hannah said: "I’ve always been OK with her going out. She’s quite confident with being out. I know the places she goes so I’ve never been overly worried as she does call if she needs anything.

"At first I simply thought she drank too much and hadn’t eaten. Now, to think about what happened to her and seeing her so poorly and upset, it’s really hit home that this could happen to anyone and it’s so easily done.

"I dread to think what could have happened to her if she hadn’t had such a good friend stay with her. I think I will worry so much more from now.

"It's become very clear that girls drinks being spiked is on the rise especially at Casinos. Not everyone gets checked walking in and as soon as anything happens the bouncers/door staff do not want to know and aren’t interested in helping.

"If a couple of simple questions were asked it would have been clear Olivia wasn’t drunk and she needed assistance."

Hannah says she doesn't feel her daughter was helped by the first aider who had come over to check on Olivia but dismissed concerns about her being spiked and says she feels "door staff there aren’t understanding or approachable".

"They should have a duty of care," Hannah added. "More needs to be done about finding the ones who actually spike innocent victims and not just remind the victims to be careful.

"I think more awareness needs to be raised with the victims but what would be good is clubs and police speaking out about how they will help support victims and come down on those who commit the crimes."

A statement from Casino Rooms said the safety and welfare of customers "has always been and continues to be our priority" and is doing "everything that we can to create a safe experience".

It added: "We take any allegation of drink spiking very seriously and urge anyone who sees suspicious behaviour, or suspects they have been affected by this, to seek assistance immediately from a member of our staff or security team.

"Our trained staff are here to help and have the support of our on-site First Aider. Information messages relating to this are shown on our in-house HD TV screen and projector system along with online digital support and also physical posters to promote awareness.

"The venue also has drink protectors available free to customers on all bars.

"We would like to take this opportunity to remind people on a night out, wherever they are, to be vigilant and never leave their drink unattended, never accept a drink from somebody they don't know, and to not drink anything they didn't see being poured.

'Taking great pride in their jobs, our staff always do their very best to help and look after all patrons at all times and will continue to do so into the future.'

"All operators across the hospitality sector have a duty of care over their patrons and Casino Rooms is no exception.

"Taking great pride in their jobs, our staff always do their very best to help and look after all patrons at all times and will continue to do so into the future.

"As always, the venue will assist Kent Police with any investigations, using our full resources, including our extensive CCTV system.

"We also have a long-standing policy to search all patrons prior to entry."

Hannah has also issued her own advice to women going out after what happened to her daughter.

Hannah Calvert says she is "disappointed" staff didn't take her daughter's concerns seriously

She said: "Make sure you’re with someone you completely trust, who won’t leave you on your own.

"It’s really important to know who you’re with, have a conversation beforehand about what to do in case you need help and who to call.

"When out, don’t let others buy your drink or make sure you go to the bar with them, have a cover over it or hold your hand over the top, take it into the toilet with you if needs be or finish it before, never ever leave it unattended.

"Always try to take note of who’s around you. It’s sad we have to be so concerned about this when wanting a night out or to have some fun but if you aren’t careful something far worse could happen."

Police say they are investigating the incident reported by Olivia, with any witnesses asked to call 01634 792209 quoting reference 46/215253/21.

'I dread to think what could have happened to her if she hadn’t had such a good friend stay with her...'

Superintendent Pete Steenhuis said: "Kent Police and its partner agencies work hard to keep communities safe. Our dedicated Community Safety Units work to prevent and deter criminal activity in public places, with specialists such as our licensing officers who help to improve safety in pubs, clubs and bars.

"Officers within these units work closely with the local authority, as well as local businesses, to ensure there is a joined up collaborative approach.

"When concerns are identified, licensing officers will directly hold meetings with those businesses to ensure swift and robust action is put in to place in order to help resolve any ongoing concerns.

"We are also working closely with door staff to ensure they can recognise the signs of spiking and other criminal behaviour that might take place.

"Slipping alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink or attempting to drug them in any other way is against the law, even if the drink is not consumed or the person is unharmed, and those found guilty of such an act risk a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

"We take all reports of this type seriously and would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim or witness to spiking to come forward and report it.

"We want our communities to feel safe when enjoying an evening out and to remember that there is always help and support available if you need it.

"We urge anyone in a licensed premise who needs assistance to ‘Ask for Angela’. This is a scheme where women can discreetly alert staff that they feel uneasy in their situation and staff can intervene."

KentOnline also contacted Medway Council to see if any licensing issues had been reported about Casino Rooms and reviews due to be carried out but a spokesman said no referrals to officers had been made.

Chief Superintendent Samantha Price, Kent Police’s Divisional Commander for North Kent, said: "Protecting people enjoying the night-time economy is a priority for Kent Police.

'More than 100 people working at night-time economy venues have also received training on how to protect vulnerable people, including women, and spot signs of suspicious activity.'

"Our officers in the Medway Community Policing team frequently patrol Rochester High Street, with support provided by other policing teams and important partners such as Medway Council, the Street Pastors and staff working at night-time economy venues. These teams share a commitment to keep people safe.

"Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in late July, our officers have made 57 positive interventions to protect people due to concerns about a person’s vulnerability.

"This has included helping individuals safely get home and dispersing people who were believed to be behaving suspiciously.

"More than 100 people working at night-time economy venues have also received training on how to protect vulnerable people, including women, and spot signs of suspicious activity.

"Additionally, when an offence is reported to us, we have robust procedures in place to ensure a victim is supported and all available lines of enquiry are pursued.

"I am confident the efforts of our officers have had a positive impact and we will continue to proactively patrol Rochester, and other high-footfall areas, to ensure the night-time economy remains safe."

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