A SWINDON nightclub and a leading drug project in the town have united to issue a warning to clubbers over drug rapes.

With the party season fast approaching, the Swindon and Wiltshire Alcohol and Drugs Advice Centre wants to ensure the safety of festive revellers.

With so-called date rape on the rise and even more complaints of people having their drinks spiked, service director Barbara Crofton has warned clubbers to be on their guard.

Rohypnol is the most common drug used in date rape cases but other drugs like ecstasy, speed and LSD have also been used to spike drinks.

Barbara said: "It's a case of being vigilant and cautious to make sure you are not a victim of this type of crime," she said.

Barbara talked of a fine line between acting with caution and fear. Her goal is to make men and women aware of the facts and what they should do if they are the target of a prankster or worse.

"When somebody spikes another person's drink it is either a very dangerous prank or they have the intention of committing further serious crime," she said.

The nature of the act itself means many cases go unreported because victims cannot really remember what happened to them.

This is because the drugs leave the victim with a vary hazy memory of the crime or no memory at all. Barbara said: "It is difficult for a person to report a crime when they don't have any evidence as such.

"But I want to stress that the police are very sensitive when dealing with matters like date rape and druggings."

She said victims might harbour feelings of guilt because they accepted a drink or were out drinking in the first place.

That's where the Old Town-based service comes into play.

"We can help people come to terms with what has happened and make them understand that they are not responsible," said Barbara.

"Anyone who thinks they may have been drugged should report it to the police straight away."

Barbara's warning has been backed by Eros nightclub in West Swindon. Despite strict security procedures, assistant manager Matt Ford said he had evicted two men on separate occasions because he suspected they might be planning to spike drinks.

Assistant manager Matt Ford said: "It has been a problem but we are not prepared to take any risks.

"If someone is reported to us as acting suspiciously they are removed from the club and barred."

Mr Ford added that everyone entering the club is searched for drugs.

Graham Chivers, of Wiltshire Police said: "We have had incidents in the county and some in Swindon where young women have reported having their drinks tampered with.

"Fortunately date rape has not been a problem in the county and we hope that that will continue.

"Our advice to young women when out would be to keep hold of their drinks and report anything suspicious to the management or the police."