Drink spiking fear after Huddersfield student falls ill

University student Sophie Daly, 18, became disorientated and suffered convulsions after going for drinks in Huddersfield.

Sophie, from Doncaster, was with friends from the university netball squad when she suddenly felt drunk. Friends helped her into a taxi but when she arrived home, flatmates realised she was struggling to walk and her behaviour was increasingly erratic.

She said: “Trying to come to terms with what I went through was a hard process. No one should even have to think about someone doing such a thing, but it happens and I would hate for someone else to go through what I did.”

“I was always the type to never think anything like this would happen to me, but this is not the first time I have been spiked. Since three years ago when it happened the first time, I have been very cautious when out in town. It just shows that you can still be careful yet someone can still be sneaky. This is so dangerous.”

She was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary but says she was left in a room by herself and discharged, after her blood pressure stabilised, without seeing a doctor. She has complained to the hospital.

Julie Dawes, the trust’s director of nursing, said the complaint was being investigated to see if any lessons could be learned, adding: “We are sorry Ms Daly is unhappy with the care delivered by our A&E team.”

The case follows the death of Jane Khalaf, 19, from Huddersfield, who died last month on an exchange trip to Germany in a suspected drink spiking tragedy.