Clubbers left “bleeding from their mouths” after accidentally drinking shots with caustic soda

"One girl keeled over. Despite music blaring, everyone knew something was wrong."

Five people were left bleeding from their mouths in a London club after being given caustic soda instead of salt with tequila shots. The incident is believed to be have occurred when the staff at Tiger Tiger near Piccadilly Circus accidentally filled salt pots with the chemical. Police were called to the scene when the group of four women and one man began retching soon after downing the shots. According to a spokesperson for the Met police: "Police were called to Tiger Tiger at approximately 10.50pm on Tuesday 7 December following reports of four people who had suffered burns after coming into contact with a substance, believed to be a strong alkali, at a venue in Haymarket.

“Four females received treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital. None of their conditions are life-threatening. A fifth person, a male, also came into contact with the substance but has declined hospital treatment.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious and there have been no arrests. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.”

It is understood that one victim is still needing medical treatment one month after the incident. One witness describe the nightmare scene to The Sun. "A group of four women and a man necked the tequilas and used salt and lemon to soften the taste, then began to retch," they said.

"One girl keeled over. Despite music blaring, everyone knew something was wrong. There was panic. People thought it was some kind of terrorist incident.

"It took a long time to establish what happened. Apparently, the club kept salt and caustic soda in similar containers and there had been an honest accident."

Caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a chemical commonly found in household cleaning products. The substance can cause chemical burns and permanent blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes.