Fake Santa on the Loose, Drugging Women

A fake Santa has been reportedly drugging women with spiked drinks during the festive season of Christmas in Berlin.

A 15-year-old girl fell ill and even suffered short-term memory loss after taking a cherry brandy offered to her by a man, wearing a Father Christmas outfit, according to the Sun.

The drink contained a date-rape drug mixed with alcohol, it was revealed in an analysis.

Earlier, the fake Santa had offered a drink to local nurse Tanja Doebbel, 23, and her friend, telling them it was lemon vodka. Both the women fell ill.

The fake Santa told the women that he was a doctor and both of them can come to his place for a free check-up.

Meanwhile, a passer-by took notice of their plight and alerted the police, and the fake Santa fled the scene.

"We could hardly walk, we were dizzy, vision was blurred," Tanja was quoted by the Sun as saying. A scientific analysis later revealed that the drink was liquid ecstasy.

In Kent, police staged a huge crackdown last week on criminals in the run up to Christmas and warned a "Father Christmas" to fix his vehicle's lights within two weeks.