The Stop Loan Sharks Project, which is supported by City of York Council, is cracking down on illegal doorstep lending over Christmas.

The scheme aims to put an end to the practices and discourages people from using illegal moneylenders.

City of York Council’s Trading Standards team have warned that what may seem like a small loan to tide people over for Christmas could end up costing them well into the New Year and beyond. They warn that in some cases, violence has been used, including a victim who was kidnapped and a female victim who was raped.