York City footballers have joined a national campaign to help stop illegal loan sharks operating in the city.

The Stop Loan Sharks Project aims to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal moneylenders, who are used by an estimated 310,000 households across the UK, and can charge high rates of interest and resort to violence if payments are not kept up.

A spokesman from York City said: “We as a club are only too happy to help promote this initiative to our loyal fans. If it only helps one fan who finds themself in financial difficulty then it has been a worthwhile exercise.”

Members of the National Trading Standards Illegal Moneylending Team will visit Bootham Crescent for York City’s match against Tamworth on Saturday, from 3pm, to give free advice and information to the public.

For more information on avoiding loan sharks, phone 0300 5552222 in confidence.