StopTopps Provided To Brighton Clubs To Help Prevent Drink Spiking

A year’s worth of anti-spiking drinks covers, known as StopTopps, have been provided to some of Brighton's most popular nightclubs.

With four universities, an iconic nightlife scene and a four-mile promenade, Brighton is a very popular city.

Home to over 250,000 people, the city is known for its diverse cultural, music and arts scene.

Every September and October, thousands of students take to Brighton’s seafront at night to celebrate ‘Freshers Week’ at some of the city’s biggest clubs.

Ensuring students, including those enjoying and working in the night-time economy, are safe is a priority for Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne.

As part of the funding PCC Bourne secured from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund, Brighton & Hove has benefitted from approximately £300,000. The money has been used to improve the safety of people at night including additional police patrols, taxi marshal schemes and employing extra staff helping to tackle anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

Preventative measures such as bystander training and education sessions in schools addressing healthy relationships, consent, misogyny and toxic masculinity, have also been awarded funding. 

Sussex Police’s drone, which has been in use in West Sussex at night, will also now patrol a half mile stretch of beach between the Palace Pier and i360. The drone acts as a mobile form of CCTV to complement the existing wide range of CCTV already in the city and is used as an extra resource to catch criminals and keep people safe.

As part of improving the safety of those enjoying the night-time economy, Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne has also provided a year’s worth of anti-spiking drinks covers, known as StopTopps, to Rox Promotions who host some of the city’s biggest club nights at various venues including The Arch, Tide and Horizon.

The anti-spiking covers, which stick over the top of any cup or glass, also have a QR code printed on them with details of PCC Bourne’s Safe Space Sussex directory – a website providing advice and support for victims and witnesses of crime. 

Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said:

“Brighton has long been renowned for its pubs and clubs and, with a thriving night-time economy, the city fills up every evening with visitors and students. Sussex Police maintains an excellent relationship with local venues and officers work closely with the city council, taxi firms and the rail and bus services to ensure that people can enjoy their night out and get home safely.

"Sadly, predators and opportunists will seek to take advantage of the parks and dark shoreline. That’s why I was pleased to provide this additional funding to the city and enable police to deploy a drone giving officers on the ground vital eyes in the sky to quickly spot vulnerable people.”

Luca Davidson, Managing Director at Rox Promotions said: 

"I was very pleased to receive the StopTopps from PCC Katy Bourne. As a student led events company, spiking is something that we are all too close to. This is an issue that is very personal to us and to all of our friends and peers. For this reason, we consider it vital that there are safety measures in place, so that our staff, customers and friends can enjoy their night out without the underlying fear of being spiked.”