A woman who was spiked by an injection in a club said she thought the needle mark was 'just a cut at first' before realising what had happened.
Chloe Madico went out to Popworld in Guildford, in Surrey, for her friend's birthday on October 23 expecting it to be a normal night.
But the 20-year-old woke up the next day unable to remember a huge chunk of her night out, Surrey Live reports.
She also discovered a mark on her leg, which she assumed to be a cut at first.
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Her flatmates noticed the mark and persuaded her to go to hospital, where doctors confirmed that it was an injection mark.
Chloe has now spoken about what happened in a bid to warn other women of the dangers of spiking.
She said her and a group of friends went to Popworld at around 11.30pm that evening.
Chloe, originally from Woking, said that she knew around 30 to 40 people in the building.
She said that she felt completely safe because she was surrounded by school friends and didn't leave her best friend's side all night.
However, the next morning, Chloe woke up with a huge chunk of the night missing from her memory and later found a mark on her leg where a needle had been inserted.
"I have no recollection of the night whatsoever, my friend had to tell me a lot of the stuff that happened," she said.
"I just assumed I was just really drunk, even though I'd never experienced anything like that. I was apparently dead weight, I was falling to the floor, I couldn't string a sentence together."
She said if she hadn't been with her friend, "God knows what would have happened - would I have even made it home?"
Chloe added: "When we saw the mark on my leg in the morning, we just assumed I had cut myself."
It wasn't until she returned to Bournemouth, where she now lives, that her flatmates noticed it was similar to other images of injection marks posted on social media.
She continued: "At first as I was just 'oh it will be fine' but my flatmate was insisting I go to the hospital."
When she arrived at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, three days after she had been spiked, nurses and doctors confirmed it looked like an injection mark.
Now, Chloe faces multiple blood tests, vaccinations and trips to hospital and a sexual health clinic to make sure she has not caught anything from the needle that spiked her.
She explained: "I'm still having to deal with the repercussions of what happened, over the next six months I am going to have to keep going to hospital.
"Of course I would rather have the appointments than hope it will be fine and do nothing, but there are a lot more health risks with injections rather than being spiked via a drink. Of course both are bad but with the needle you have to be so careful, it's not nice."
Chloe is keen to raise awareness of the risks of spiking by needle because her initial doubts.
She continued: "The only reason I went to hospital was because a girl I lived with sent me a social media post - I just thought it was a cut and kept saying I would be fine.
"If she hadn't convinced me, I would have been sat here thinking it was a cut on my leg. I was so shocked at the time I had no idea, that's why I didn't go straight to A&E. Looking back now I know I definitely needed to."
The 20-year-old admits that it is hard for clubs to keep everyone safe but at the same time believes improvements could be made to stop incidents, like spiking by needle, from happening.
She said: "I've been out in Guildford many times before, so it's not unfamiliar territory. What scares me is that Popworld is not a massive club, it's really open, there are not different rooms like other clubs.
"A lot of people have said 'try to wear something to cover you more', but that is something I really don't agree with. A needle can go through anything but also what I wear is my choice.
"No disrespect to Popworld, but they could've done more on entry. I know it's hard to bag search everyone but they were just doing spot checks rather than everyone.
"I know it might take longer to get people in and it could cause bigger queues but I do think they need to up their game."
Following the incident, a spokesperson for Popworld said: "The safety of our guests and our team, has always been, and remains, our number one priority and we continually review our safety and security procedures to ensure our customers and staff remain safe.
"We treat all allegations of spiking seriously and ask customers to bring this to our attention immediately should they have concerns their drinks have been tampered with.
“We are aware there is increasing concern over alleged increases in spiking in clubs and bars, and have therefore enhanced our measures and employed Guest Support to assist any guests that are feeling vulnerable or unwell.
"These team members are easily identifiable, as they wear a neon armband. We have enhanced security checks on our door, and we ask guests to remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious behaviour to one of our team immediately."
A Surrey Police spokesperson added: "We received a report of spiking by injection over the weekend commencing Friday, October 22. The victim is receiving ongoing medical care and support from family and friends.
"This is the first such report of needle spiking that we have received in Guildford, although we do occasionally receive reports of drink spiking. Our Divisional Drugs Liaison Officers and Licensing Officers work closely with nightclubs and bars to raise awareness of this issue, including giving advice to the venue's staff in how to recognise the signs in someone whose drink has been spiked, and what to do in that situation.
"We will continue to liaise and work with them in relation to this latest issue.
"We would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim or witness to spiking, in any form, to contact their local police force as soon as possible. Any reports of spiking will be investigated and taken seriously."
