Two teenagers who claim they had their drinks spiked and were injected on two different nights out are now describing the terrifying ordeals, which left one woman worried about going out.

Rhianna Poots and Sara Begic have said they are sharing their stories in the hope they can save others from the same experience.

They are sharing their stories in the wake of an epidemic of drink-spiking reports from around the UK in recent months.

The majority of the victims to come forward across the UK have been young women, mostly students, but there are also some young men who have reported similar cases.

Rhianna was enjoying out in a bar in Newcastle city centre on January 12 when three of her female friends suddenly became unwell.

The Northumbria University student said two of the group, who had been sharing the same drink, started to be violently sick at the venue - with one even needing to be carried out by a bouncer.

Speaking to Chronicle Live , 18-year-old Rhianna said: "When we got home their breathing was raspy and their eyes were dilated."

Northumbria University student Rhianna Poots (
Image:
Rhianna Poots)
Sara Begic, 19, from Durham (
Image:
Sara Begic)

"They could all hear what I was saying to them but they couldn't make sense of it."

Rhianna took her friends to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead as they became increasingly unwell.

"I called an ambulance as [my friend] Sara [Begic] was especially bad," she said.

"Her breathing wasn't right, she was hyperventilating.

"She wasn't responding and going in and out of consciousness.

"They weren't any ambulances available but they said; 'you need to get her to hospital now.'

All three women underwent tests to see whether they had been spiked.

Rhianna said they are still waiting on the results.

Sara Begic, 19, from Durham, believes her drink was spiked during the incident and is now worried about going out again following her ordeal.

The Northumbria University law student said: "It was horrible.

"The last thing I remember is sitting with my friends.

"I knew where I was but I just couldn't do anything.

"I couldn't move my body and the bouncer carried me out.

"I feel quite unsafe going out now."

The group of friends revealed that this isn't actually the first time they believe they have been spiked while on a night out in the city.

One of the students, who did not want to be named, said she was spiked by an injection in her leg on December 2.

She became ill later that night and went to hospital to be checked out the following morning.

"I felt like I had been possessed and my body felt freezing," she said.

"It was like I couldn’t physically stop myself from shaking it was probably the worst experience of my life.

"I don’t feel completely safe going back out again."

Rhianna said the friends reported the injection spiking incident to the police but believed that the venue had been unable to help officers because of its poor CCTV footage.

As a result, they decided not to report the second incident, which happened at the same venue.

However, the friends hope that sharing their story will encourage others to be vigilant when on a night out.

"Just because people have stopped posting about [spiking] doesn't mean that it isn't still happening," Rhianna said.

Northumbria Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the reported injection spiking incident and stressed that dedicated officers are on patrol to ensure the city remains a safe place for a night out.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we have received a report from a woman concerned she had been spiked with an injection while on a night out in Newcastle on December 2.

“An investigation has been launched and enquiries into this incident are ongoing.”

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