Five hospitalised after suspected drink spiking

A mass drink spiking is suspected to be behind the collapse of five people last night. File photo / Dean Purcell

Five people were hospitalised overnight after a suspected mass drink spiking incident at a popular Napier bar, police say.

Four men, aged 20, 23 and 44 and one of unknown age and one woman, 19, were admitted to hospital about 2am after they "collapsed and vomited and they had fits of some sort" at the Cri bar in central Napier, Senior Sergeant Fred van Duuren told NZPA.

Police wanted to speak to anyone who noticed any suspicious behaviour or illicit substances being offered in the bar, and would be speaking to bar staff and reviewing camera footage today.

Mr van Duuren said he had not previously come across such an apparent drugging incident "on such a grand scale".

All but one of the victims had been discharged, with the remaining 23-year-old man in a stable condition and likely to be released today, a Hawke's Bay Hospital spokeswoman said.

Toxicology reports were likely to take several days, Mr van Duuren said.

- NZPA