A number of new measures are coming into force to help tackle drink spiking across the country. 

The new package will see changes to the legislation, research into self-testing kits, more training for door staff and better education for young people to raise awareness about the threat. 

There will also be coordinated police action to crackdown on spiking during key weeks of the year. 

MP Rachel Maclean, who started working on the issue during her time as Minister for Safeguarding, said: "Ever since the government has been committed to keeping women and girls safe and after listening to countless victim testimonies, I also came to the conclusion that we need stronger action. 

"Spiking can occur by needle and by drink and it is often underreported or dismissed. Victims felt ignored and did not know where to go or were blamed for going out and getting drunk. To me this was wrong. 

"As a young woman, I had my own fair share of behaving irresponsibly, it's part of growing up and I wouldn't want to take that away from any young person."

The step up to tackle spiking comes as the government prepares to clarify under the Criminal Justice Bill that, without any doubt, spiking is illegal. 

It will be back with separate guidance to provide a definition of spiking to give victims renewed confidence to come forward, increase public awareness and enforce that perpetrators will face up to ten years behind bars. 

Ms Maclean added: "The new measures announced by the government will help to tackle spiking wherever it occurs and give victims confidence that their reports will be taken seriously and action will be taken. 

"It's important that testing lab capacity exists to process samples to enable a prosecution case to be built. Altogether this will be a significant step in tackling this frightening and dangerous criminal behaviour."