IT'S the weekend and groups of women are hitting York's bars and clubs, eager to blow off some steam.

The vast majority are responsible individuals, but it can be easy to be careless with your drink when you are caught up in conversation, perhaps with a friendly stranger.

A few moments is all it takes to slip rape drugs Rohypnol or GHB into an unattended glass and Channel 4's Dispatches programme will tonight screen an investigation claiming that as many as 30 women a week are potential rape victims after having their drinks spiked.

Many more women, and gay men, find their drinks laced with a whole host of other illegal and prescription drugs or alcohol. The programme claims that one-in-four women who regularly go to pubs and clubs had their drink spiked last year.

These figures may seem far- fetched at first, but spend a few hours speaking to women in York bars and the amount of stories is overwhelming.

Debbie, 32, is just one example of the many women who have had a possible drink-spiking experience.

She fell down some nightclub stairs and was taken to hospital a few years ago after drinking just a couple of glasses of wine one night.

"My friend said I was going mad in the ambulance - screaming and saying they were taking me to a mental hospital. I couldn't remember a thing. I always keep hold of my drink these days." Diana and Becky, both 20, had a friend who passed out in the toilets after drinking three pints while watching an England football match at a pub.

"They had to break the door down to get her out," said Diana. "She had left her drink on the table behind her while she was watching the screen. She said she felt like she'd had far more to drink than three pints."

Janet, 46, had a much more frightening tale.

Her 54-year-old friend thought her drink had been spiked a few weeks ago after travelling to Newcastle for a night out. She had gone home with a man she was casually dating, but woke up to find a different man in bed with her.

"She still doesn't know if anything happened and didn't think she'd had more than usual to drink."

These stories fit with the documentary's findings that most women had no memory of what happened to them, usually waking up with a stranger or being helped home by friends. They are unlikely to report the incident to police.

The few cases that are reported rarely reach the courtroom. Rohypnol and GHB only stay in the body for a few hours so there is rarely forensic evidence. Only 15 men have been convicted of drug-fuelled rape in the UK since 1999.

There are no official figures for drug rape and drink spiking complaints, but police are due to begin a national survey next month.

The Roofie Foundation, which is based in North Yorkshire, received 998 inquiries last year from individuals around the country whose drinks were spiked. Only 15 per cent of these were reported to the police.

Founder Graham Rhodes said: "We have quite a lot of referrals from York in the past year, including drug-related rape. I know for a fact of half-a-dozen or so cases that have never been reported to police."

PC David Boag, licensing officer for York, told the Evening Press that he received a handful of calls from possible drink spiking victims.

"Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove and people are usually just taken into casualty departments and treated for being drunk," he said.

"All the pubs and clubs are quite aware of the possibility of drink spiking, and it comes up when I run training courses for licensees."

This message is reinforced by Dave Harrison, who oversees York's three Luminar Leisure nightclubs - The Gallery, Toffs and Ikon & Diva - and was heavily involved in drawing up a drugs policy for licensed premises with North Yorkshire Police.

"It is a safe environment in York but people need to be aware that the need to monitor their drinks. Our staff are trained to spot the symptoms, but it is difficult to tell if someone has been spiked or just had too much to drink."

Earlier this year, the company ran an awareness campaign where staff placed yellow "warning" tags on unattended bottles to highlight the risk of drink spiking.

It seems prevention is the only way to tackle this frightening menace.

Dispatches - Spiked, an investigation into drug rape in Britain, is screened on Channel 4, tonight, at 8pm.

Why I think my drink was spiked

Lisa Mutch, 36, of Tollerton, near Easingwold, believes she may have been the victim of a spiked drink on a night out in York about a month ago.

"I went out with a couple of friends and we had quite a lot to drink, mostly wine but also shots being sold by someone coming round with a tray. I hadn't seen them being opened.

"One minute I was fine, totally normal, and the next I was gone. I was being sick and everything was in slow motion. It was like I could see things happening but I wasn't there.

"My friends looked after me and got me home. They had drunk exactly the same but were nothing like me.

"My partner was at home and was really worried. He took care of me. It took me four days to get over it. I was really quite sick and had a terrible throat - nothing like a normal hangover.

"I didn't go to the doctor or police but it scared me. We kept trying to think of explanations - a dodgy drink - but I'm convinced I was spiked. I haven't drunk a shot since."

How to stay safe

Plan your night out, including your journey home, and make sure someone knows where you are and when you will be back

Never leave your drink unattended. If in a group, appoint a nominated drinks-watcher, ideally the nominated driver

Never accept a drink from someone you do not trust. If you do, make sure it is opened in front of you

Drink from a bottle if possible

Do not share or exchange drinks and never drink left over or discarded drinks

What to do if your drink has been spiked

If you feel odd, nauseous, or extremely drunk after only a couple of drinks, your drink could have been spiked

Get yourself to a place of safety immediately - tell a close friend, get them to take you home and stay with you until the effects have worn off

NEVER accept a lift from a stranger or someone you do not trust - even to your own home. If you are alone, tell the landlord or manager and get them to phone a family member or friend

If you think you are a victim of drug rape, contact the police IMMEDIATELY. No case can go forward without forensic blood and urine tests, and the drugs pass out of your system very quickly

For help and advice about drug rape and drink spiking, phone The Roofie Foundation's 24-hour helpline on 0800 783 2980 or website www.roofie.com.

Updated: 15:40 Monday, September 13, 2004