Many Britons are struggling with unmanageable debt, the Citizens Advice Bureaux service has warned.

The CAB has found a 47 per cent rise in the number of people with debt problems and has revealed that the average client seeking advice has debts amounting to more than 14 times their monthly income.

Forum Response: National Consumer Council

Gill Bull, acting chief executive at NCC, told ePolitix.com: "NCC has been pressing government to shake up the outdated credit laws that leave many vulnerable people in misery.

"The government should introduce stricter Office of Fair Trading licence application checks and better policing, on-going supervision and monitoring by OFT of high-risk credit traders; a fines system to discourage lenders from unfair practices; a credit ombudsman service for people affected by misleading behaviour from lenders; and alternative community-based forms of credit for those on low incomes."