Parliament’s Strangers’ Bar to reopen with CCTV after alleged spiking

A well-liked bar in Parliament is to reopen this month with CCTV put in, after it was closed following an allegation of drink spiking.

Strangers’ Bar was shut final month after a girl advised workers she believed her drink had been tampered with on 7 January.

The Metropolitan Police drive is investigating the incident and no arrests have been made.

Parliamentary authorities have accomplished a evaluation of safety on the bar, which is utilized by MPs, friends, journalists and parliamentary workers.

The Home of Commons Fee mentioned it had “endorsed a lot of adjustments that intention to boost current security measures and make sure the wellbeing of all clients who go to the bar”.

The set up of CCTV within the bar, growing the variety of safety guards, and giving coaching to bar workers are among the many adjustments being launched when the venue reopens on 24 February.

Info on “drink security” and hyperlinks to schemes together with “Ask for Angela” – which helps clients who’re feeling unsafe to discretely ask workers for assist – will even be displayed within the bar.

Mike Clancy, normal secretary of the Prospect union, which represents some parliamentary workers, mentioned the adjustments “go some technique to addressing considerations”.

He mentioned: “Specifically, the introduction of CCTV is one thing Prospect has known as for as an vital safety measure, and one which is current in nearly each different licensed premises within the nation.

“It’s telling, nonetheless, that these adjustments are essential, and indicative that the general tradition at Westminster nonetheless has to alter.”

Final 12 months, a bunch of Labour backbench MPs submitted plans to curb gross sales of alcohol in Parliament throughout workplace hours to a committee modernisation of Parliament.

Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned spiking as “a disturbing and severe crime which might have a dangerous and long-lasting affect on victims”.

Parliament’s official complaints authority, the Impartial Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), has criticised Westminster’s heavy consuming tradition as a “frequent issue” in complaints and breaches of the code of conduct.