Loan sharks in Knowsley are warned they can’t hide
19/03/08
In an attempt to cut down on loan sharks in the area of Knowsley, a dedicated team is looking to track down and prosecute those who are involved in the illegal money borrowing trade.
The team involves people from Birmingham City Council’s Illegal Money team working in partnership with Knowsley Council’s Environmental Health and Consumer Protection Service to try and bring these loan sharks to some form of justice.
Another aim of the team is to help those who have been a victim of the loan sharks in order to help them as much as possible with support and debt advisers, and offer help in terms of the legal and affordable credit that may be available.
The team will be looking to gather as much evidence as possible with regards to the loan sharks activities in order to try and get them before the law courts, and even going as far as arrests. In order to help with this, a telephone hotline has been set up called “shop a shark”.
Earlier today Councilor Ken Keith, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services, said: “Illegal money lenders prey on the most vulnerable members of society – people on low incomes or poor credit ratings, without access to bank accounts. They are a blight on the communities in which they operate.”
He also said that: “This new initiative should send out a clear message to all the loan sharks in Knowsley that we are coming for you. “I also want to assure those people who have fallen victim to an illegal money lender that help is available and we can offer them support to escape these problems. Help is only a phone call away.”
