‘Watching out for spiking is just normal’: Staying safe on a night out in Leeds

Going on nights out at uni feels like a rite of passage, especially when we are living in Leeds, which is (arguably) the best student city in the UK. 

From getting ready to your favourite white girl bangers in a cramped Hyde Park kitchen to drunken dares, nights out are the needed dopamine hits that help us to forget the stress of budgets, deadlines and whatever Moodle has decided to break on us that week.   

However, they aren’t risk free. When the sun goes down, crime rates rise and sexual harassment, violence and spiking have become risks many Leeds students quietly accept. 

As a first year student at Leeds Trinity University told The Tab: “Watching out for spiking is just normal.”

According to Drinkaware (2025), almost one million adults in the UK believed they were a victim of spiking that year. Only 47% recognised that topping up someone’s drink and giving a stronger measurement without their knowledge are both forms of spiking. However, most people recognised that adding drugs to drinks was a form of spiking.

With all of this in mind, we’ve pulled together a Leeds-specific guide to staying safe on a night out. 

Never be single 

Friend and I paired up at the Hedley Verity

No, I am not referring to your relationship status.

Safety in numbers is everything on a night out in Leeds. Pair up whenever you go out, especially on busy nights like Fruity or Wednesday socials.

Being in pairs means you only have to keep an eye on one other person, rather than a whole squad scattered across Warehouse or Home. We recommend social secs enforcing this rule to keep everyone safe and feel included. 

Share your location 

Mischief at Warehouse

Sharing your location with close friends and family members ensures that if something were to happen to you, others are in a better position to find you and help you out.

Most apps and devices enable you to privately share your location with a few individuals. We recommend sharing it with your club or bar partner, a parent/guardian and a trusted flatmate.

Keep phone charged and have a plan B

Phone re-charge power nap

It’s always better if your phone has plenty of charge throughout the night so that friends can get hold of you. Nevertheless, signal in the Hedley Verity always fails and the group’s cameraman’s phone has died by 1am.

For these situations, plan a point in each venue that the group will meet if they can’t find someone. Choose locations on the outskirts or even outside the venue because you’re lucky to even find air in the centre of PopWorld on a Wednesday.

Plan your journey home ahead of the evening

Walking back in a group after Mischief

Nights out in Leeds usually begin at 11pm and end 3-4 am so public transport is off limits.

If you can, book a group Uber or Veezu back to your flat. There are thousands of drivers in Leeds, who are readily available throughout the night. These companies strictly regulate their drivers and most cars have dashcams to protect you as a passenger and them as a driver. 

If you decide to walk, go with a group, walk in well lit areas and remain in contact with friends until you are safely back in your room. 

Even if you are sober, walking alone at night in Headingley, Hyde Park or the city centre can puts you at risk.

Safety accessories 

You can be stylish and smart.

Drink cap scrunchies like nightcap are lifesavers. The scrunchies can be used as a general hair accessory to prevent your hair from getting tangled on the dancefloor at Bobby’s disco. Then, when you’re thirsty, you can accessorise your beverage by removing the drink cap from its hidden compartment. Your spike free drink is secured. 

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Handbags keep your belongings safe, secure and in one place. It’s a lot more difficult for belongings to walk about when they’re in a zipped up bag. 

Reasons for losing personal items in a club don’t have to be sinister. I lost my phone and wallet in Disco Spoons because they dropped out of my pockets when I was dancing. Luckily, security managed to spot it and hand it back to me later in the night. 

If you don’t have a handbag or a friend with a handbag, take a jacket with zip up pockets. It’s not glamorous, but neither is cancelling your bank card at 3am. 

Never accept a drink from a stranger

Leeds is friendly but not that friendly. 

One student told The Tab: “Never accept a drink from a stranger. My brother’s flatmate got spiked and I thought, who would think of doing such a horrible thing?” 

Free drinks are tempting but it’s never worth the risk. I’m someone who chats to strangers constantly, it’s Leeds after all, but I’ve learned to always be cautious and never fully trust anyone until you truly know them. 

Magic thumbs

Most clubs serve drinks in their cans or bottles. Place your thumb over the cap whenever you aren’t drinking from it. 

You’re not Harry Potter and your stomach isn’t a cauldron

Keep to the same or similar drinks throughout the night. 

Different alcohols have different levels of congeners, which can contribute to hangover symptoms. Dark spirits like whiskey, rum and red wine contain far more congeners than clearer ones like vodka. 

Alcohol and congener tolerance varies between individuals so try to figure out what works for you before you reach the Warehouse.

Drinking too much makes you more vulnerable to incidents and nothing is worse than being sent out of the club because you couldn’t handle your poison. 

Water is your superhero

Glass of water for every alcoholic drink

Take water breaks in between alcoholic drinks.

They keep you aware, save your bank account and decrease the chance of experiencing a hangover the following day.

Who said you had to say no to Fruity because of a Saturday work shift? 

Eat the Maccies

Maccies meal between Headingley and Horsforth

If you’re not a Maccies person, fine. Grab a Taco Bell, Flames, Smash Down or any form of food you can get your hands on.

When you drink, alcohol messes with your body’s ability to make glucose. This can cause your blood sugar to drop, causing  the classic symptoms of dizziness, confusion and light-headedness.

By eating, you not only reduce the risk of alcohol poisoning and other health complications, but also provide your brain and body with the energy to keep alert and aware of danger.

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