Sex assaults: Ten people say they were drugged and attacked

Officers tested 130 people on Kingsway on Saturday, in the first night of a pre-Christmas campaign.

Just under 10% of those sampled had cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines in their system.

One person was also found with traces of the drug GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) in their system - it has been linked to rapes.

During the night, 15 arrests were made - 13 for possession of drugs, and two for possession with intent to supply.

Detective Inspector Dale Ponting, from Swansea police's public protection department, said the results were worrying.

"In a cross-section of club goers, it is concerning that 1% of those sampled have GHB in their system, and 10% are using cocaine and ecstasy.

Safe drinking practice: Do not leave a drink unattended If drinking from a bottle, keep your thumb over the top Take your drink with you to the toilet Do not accept drinks from strangers

"When people were found with drugs in their system, we advised them to seek medical attention."

Police in Swansea said say drink-spiking is a growing problem with at least 10 people claiming they have been sexually assaulted after being slipped knock-out drugs.

They fear the number of sex attacks in the city involving drugs may be greater than has been reported to them.

So far this year, officers have investigated 64 cases in which a man or a woman has claimed their drink was laced with so-called date-rape drugs.

And an organisation which counsels victims of drug-related sex attacks this week said Swansea was a hotspot for such assaults.

More than 350 people from Wales contacted the Yorkshire-based counselling service The Roofie Foundation in 2002.

Victims have their drink spiked with a so-called date rape drug

Chief Executive Graham Rhodes said he expected the number of attacks during 2003 to be even higher.

"The Swansea and Cardiff area has been one of our main concerns for a long time.

"We must have had 22-25 cases a week from February to May this year."

Doctors at Swansea's Morriston Hospital have said they can see up to 10 people in a weekend whose drinks have been spiked, most often with the fast-acting GHB drug, which often leaves victims unable to account for much of the previous evening.

Last week, a man who posed as a Swansea City football player was jailed for eight years for raping a woman he drugged with a tranquiliser.

In May this year, a west Wales man who admitted sexually assaulting a woman he had drugged with GHB was jailed for ten years.

Last Christmas, Wales' four police forces distributed two million beer mats warning of the danger of date-rate drugging during the festive season.