A woman was slipped the so-called date rape drug Rohypnol by a man who chatted to her in a Sussex pub.

The 22-year-old victim was at The Rainbow in High Street, Lewes, when the drug - a tranquilliser ten times more potent than valium - was put into her drink.

Friends told police she began to behave erratically and by 10pm had become violently ill after drinking just three glasses of wine.

The woman was followed into toilets by a man who had been paying her a lot of attention throughout the evening.

Her friends stepped in and told the man to leave the pub and the landlady agreed to let the woman stay the night in a spare room as she recovered.

A visit to the doctor the next day and a urine test revealed traces of Rohypnol.

The drug has been used by rapists because it causes blackouts and memory loss.

PC Anna Skinner, of the Lewes community team, said: "We remind people to be aware of anyone acting suspiciously near their drinks."

Police want to speak to a man of European appearance, around 5ft 2in, who wore scruffy clothes.