There have been reports of needle spiking in Basingstoke, according to the town's MP.

Maria Miller revealed that she's received reports of people being spiked by needles in the town, as she encouraged anyone affected to come forward.

Sharing a link to a Home Affairs Committee survey on Twitter, she posted: "We have had reports of needle spiking in Basingstoke but it’s unclear what the scale of the problem is from Police reports.

"If you have experienced spiking please contribute to this Inquiry and email me so that I can look into how reports of these attacks are being handled."

Hampshire Constabulary and Maria Miller have been contacted for further comment.

Have you been the victim of needle spiking in Basingstoke? Contact ryan.evans@basingstokegazette.co.uk in confidence.

Last week, The Gazette's sister news site, The Daily Echo, reported how police in Southampton were quashing 'fake news' reports on social media of needle spiking in the city.

They said they had no reports of needle spiking incidents in the city in December. They have received seven reports of drink spiking during the last two weeks.

Southampton Cops, a Facebook page operated by the city's local team of Hampshire Constabulary officers, posted at the time: "If you think you or a friend has been spiked, tell a member of staff straight away, seek medical attention, report it to the police.

"We will relentlessly pursue perpetrators of this crime, a crime that carries a 10 year prison sentence."

In recent months, there have been increasing reports on social media of people being spiked with injections or having their drinks spiked.

It prompted Hampshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, to appear on Good Morning Britain in October urging spiking victims to report incidents.

“I think the solution here is reporting," she said. "Often where you’ve got nightclubs, pubs, bars and night time economy locations, there is lots of CCTV, but very often the victim wakes up in the morning not knowing what has happened, and then they feel slightly odd calling the police to say ‘I think something might have happened to me’.

“I would urge anybody, who can’t remember how they got home to the point they think they have been, either with a needle or drink, spiked, please report it to the police.

“The police need to know about these reports, that’s how we stop this.”