The case of a Norfolk woman left afraid to go out with friends after her drink was spiked has been raised in Parliament.

Duncan Baker, North Norfolk Conservative MP, highlighted the woman's case in the House of Commons on Monday (April 25).

Mr Baker said: "I have had a constituent get in touch with me who has had the dreadful problem of having her drink spiked.

"It has been a dreadfully traumatic experience, but on top of that, it has left her in a situation where she can no longer go out and socialise with her friends, because of her anxiety."

Mr Baker asked what measures the government was bringing in to prevent drink spiking and to toughen up sentences for those responsible.

Rachel Maclean, Home Office minister, said: "Drink spiking or needle spiking does have a very serious impact and I fully understand the anxiety of his constituent.

"All of our hearts go out to her and I very much hope she will take some reassurance from the funding that the government has provided to Norfolk's police and crime commissioner.

"He has been granted £427,000 for a range of practical initiatives designed to keep women safe on the streets at night, including drink spiking kits, taxi marshals, street pastors and more."

She said there were also a range of offences under which drink spikers could be imprisoned.

In the space of two months, between October and November last year, Norfolk police had more than 60 reports alleging drink spiking - 51 of them in Norwich.

Police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie recently provided funding to allow drink spiking test kits to be rolled out to nearly 40 venues in Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

A Home Affairs Committee report published this week found that spiking victims are too often brushed off as having had "one too many" and that victims are reluctant to report incidents due to a belief that police "won't do anything".

A questionnaire conducted for the inquiry in December and January received 1,895 responses, with almost nine in 10 saying they received no support after an incident, fewer than a third reporting it and that in most cases no further action was taken.