The amount of people seeking debt advice in Stevenage has more than doubled compared to this time last year.

Dan Marshall, project manager at Stevenage Citizens Advice Bureau, said the centre in Swingate had seen a 150 per cent increase in people coming forward.

In September 2013, 136 people sought advice from the centre compared to September 2014, where 341 are recorded as asking for help.

Mr Marshall said: “We have seen a big change in the amount of people coming forward with debt problems compared to this time last year.”

More people in Stevenage are getting into rent arrears, seeking help from payday lenders and gambling away their money.

There has also been a rise in the amount of people filing debt relief orders, which he described “as a sort of mini bankruptcy”.

Figures released by debt charity StepChange said people in the town who came forward owed an average of £12,678.

A charity spokesman said in the first six months of the year, 614 residents in the Stevenage postcode area sought debt advice from the charity’s helpline compared to 485 in the same period last year.

Which is an increase of 27 per cent.

For help or more information contact Stevenage CAB on 03444 111444.