Taylor Swift fan left unable to WALK after ‘being spiked without realising’ during concert as cops issue urgent warning
A FAN says she was left unable to walk after being spiked at a Taylor Swift concert.
Grace McAleavy, 18, started getting confused and slurred her words while she watched the megastar perform at Liverpool‘s Anfield Stadium on June 14.
She says she felt fine before the show started and hadn’t drank any alcohol, but when Taylor started her 1989 set she thought she was going to be sick.
The teenager then started slurring her words and eventually was unable to walk.
Grace, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, now believes she was spiked at the sold-out gig.
She said: “I was presenting as someone who had way too much to drink. I was slurring my words.
“I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying, even when they were trying to ask me really simple questions.
“I was non-stop shaking and I was weirdly cold. They couldn’t get my pulse because of how cold my hands were.
“It was mentioned that I had maybe had a bug or something but I haven’t been ill since the concert.
“I felt hungover the next day and I slept for an unusually long amount of time.
“I felt out of my body and that I needed more sleep and I didn’t want to do anything.”
The teenager also went to see the Shake it Off singer on June 13 and she says that both times she went staff at the venue didn’t check her bag.
Grace said: “At every other concert I’ve been to, they had tables where they will empty your bag and have a look in it.
“I went to the concert the night before as well and they just glanced in it.
“I also brought a tote bag and had a doctors note for my medication, but they also had no interest in seeing that.
“They also didn’t check any of my medication.
Taylor Swift's huge boost to London economy
TAYLOR Swift's eight sold-out shows at Wembley are tipped to bring a £300million boost to London's economy.
The Look What You Made Me Do singer, 34, kicked off a three-date run at the 90,000 capacity venue last night.
Taylor will then return to London in August for five more nights, bringing the total number of fans heading to the capital to 640,000.
And according to the Greater London Authority, they are expected to spend an average of £471 a person.
The Sun can reveal Taylor has also taken over a giant car park at the stadium to create a merchandise stall.
T-shirts will sell for £40, while hoodies are £70.
Tote bags come in at £25 a pop.
A second pop-up is in Hyde Park, Central London, for fans without tickets.
Taylor’s run is the most nights played at Wembley Stadium by a female solo artist in a single tour.
“Then when I went the night after, when it happened, nobody glanced in my bag and I also didn’t have my pockets checked either night.
“Other people who have been in touch have had the same experience.”
Grace says she has no idea how she was spiked but believes something could have been put in her drink compared to her being injected with something.
The teenager says her cup from the stadium had a lid that was bigger than the straw, so it would have easier for someone to put something in her drink.
She said: “My friend checked my body for things like small bruises but with my outfit and my tights, it was quite difficult to tell.
I was non-stop shaking and I was weirdly cold.
Grace McAleavy
“I don’t have anything that looks like I’ve been injected, I had a bruise on my leg but there was no hole in the middle.
“I think the drink would be a more likely option.
“The cups had a lid but the hole was bigger than the straw, which is something I noticed at the time.
“I thought it was really strange because normally if they give you a lid and a straw, then it fits perfectly.
“I can’t imagine that someone would have injected me without leaving a mark, but you never know.”
What is drink spiking?
MILLIONS of people go to pubs, clubs, bars and social settings every week.
But many revellers are not aware of the issues of drink spiking and the symptoms to look out for.
What is drink spiking?
Drink spiking is when substances are added to drinks without permission, to make a person feel more vulnerable or cause harm.
There are different ways in which a drink can be spiked.
- Alcohol
- Illegal drugs
- ‘Date rape’ drugs
- Prescription drugs
Drink spiking can happen to any person and any type of drink – alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Drinkers are advised to watch their drinks being poured and not accept one from strangers.
It is best not to leave a drink unattended and to dispose of a drink if it tastes odd.
What are the main symptoms of drink spiking to look out for?
Victims are unlikely to notice that their drink has been spiked straight away.
However experts have warned that symptoms of spiking tend to take hold very quickly.
The effects of drink spiking can vary depending on the substance used, the dosage and the individual’s alcohol consumption.
Symptoms will also vary depending on a person’s size and weight.
The main symptoms to be aware of and look out for are:
- Unconsciousness
- Loss of control
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Visual problems
- Feeling tired
- Loss of balance
- Lowered inhibitions
- Memory loss
- Panic/anxiety
If you notice any of these symptoms and believe someone has been spiked, then get help immediately.
Grace has posted a few videos on TikTok about her experience and other people have reached out to say they had a similar experience.
She said: “I’ve had people message me and commenting, giving me a details of what experience they had.
“I’ve had comments from people saying they thought that something like this had happened to people who they went to the show with.”
Grace, who has been a Swiftie for around five years, now says she wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a concert unless her boyfriend went with her.
She said: “I do feel better now and I am lucky that it could have been a lot worse because people have been in a lot worse states compared to me.
“But I think things could have been different. I don’t think I would go to a concert without my boyfriend present in the future.”
Anfield Stadium have been contacted for a comment.
