Residents in north Wiltshire, an area perceived as affluent, have an average personal debt of £13,000, it has emerged.

A local councillor warned of the problem and many residents may want to check their credit rating.

Carol O'Gorman, a councillor for the Liberal Democrats, said that the region is not as wealthy as people perceive, with some areas suffering from the types of poverty-associated problems found in the inner cities.

Meanwhile, speaking at a meeting organised by the North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), bureau manager Sandi Sorell told the newspaper: "North Wilts CAB is experiencing a 30 per cent year-on-year rise in the volume of debt-related cases we have to deal with."

Ms O'Gorman attributed the problem to a "buy now, pay later culture".

The news comes as Datamonitor, releases research revealing that Britain is responsible for around 30 per cent of western Europe's unsecured debt.

If you are worried about debt the first thing to do is check your credit report. Find out where you stand financially.




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