Birmingham girl Lucy* was a lively, sociable girl who enjoyed regular nights out with her friends.

She was the life and soul of the party, but that all changed after a frightening experience at a nightclub.

“It was a fun girlie night out, with four of my good friends," recalls the 29-year-old.

She had been looking forward to the evening as she hadn't seen her friends for a long time, but all of a sudden things took an unusual turn.

“I apparently got extremely hyperactive and then collapsed, blacking out. I'm normally quite bubbly anyway but not to the point that I look like I am out of control.”

Lucy blacked out and when she came round again she was described by her friends as a 'dead weight'.

She was unable to move or talk properly and started being sick.

As she fell over, she hit a table and cut her face on some glass.

"I don't remember any of this,” she says.

Thankfully, her good friends were there to look after her.

“My friends told the club I was ok but the bouncers insisted on kicking us out.

“Anyone could have claimed to have been with me and taken me home," she added.

Lucy is furious with the way staff at the club treated her and the lack of responsibility shown by the bouncers.

She added: “It would appear that it’s ok to spend as much money as you like in there but once they don't like the way you are, they throw you out.

“Initially I thought I’d just drank too much but then thought it was odd that I remembered none of it even when I was reminded by friends.”

It was not until she visited her local police station the following day that her suspicions were confirmed.

“I was given a urine test and told that there were drugs in my system.”

The effects of the drugs lasted for a good few days.

“I felt very sick and weak suffering from really sharp headaches. I also felt really nervy and quiet - I’m normally confident.”

Lucy has made some drastic changes since this fateful night, nearly six months ago.

Nowadays, a big night out for Lucy has no appeal.

She added: “I haven't touched alcohol since that night.

"I felt horrible for a while after, it is like some of my confidence has been knocked out of me. If I smell alcohol, I feel sick now.

“I'm so careful about what I do with my drinks and always keep an eye on my friend’s drinks too.

"My desire to go out has really lessened and I now prefer to drive and only have soft drinks. I don’t want to get drunk and let my guard down.

"It’s horrible to have to be so cautious but it really could save your life or stop something really awful happening.”

She hopes that one day she will be able to enjoy going out in the evenings again with her friends.

Now nights our are few and between and Lucy hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol.

Although the incident did not take place in the Broad Street entertainment quarter, its manager has sought to reassure drinkers there.

Mike Olley, manager for the Broad Street Business Improvement District, said: “In my experience, drink spiking is negligible.

But, if someone is unfortunate enough to be in that position and the door staff are unsympathetic, then that would concern me and I would want to know about it.

“For a lot of door staff, this is a serious profession and the vast majority are very good at it. They should put the safety needs of the customer as paramount.”

* Lucy’s real name has been changed to protect her identity.

Due for review February 2013