By Julian Whittle
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Trading standards officers are increasing efforts to combat illegal loan sharks.
They are urging people to report unlicensed doorstep lenders, many of whom charge exorbitant rates of interest and resort to threats and violence when clients fail to pay.
The campaign against illegal lenders in Cumbria scored a major success last month with the conviction of a loan shark from Thornhill, near Egremont.
Paul Richard Gilpin, 39, of Thorny Road, was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to do 250 hours’ unpaid community work.
Tony Denny, of the national trading standards illegal money-lending team, told county councillors yesterday that Gilpin would face action under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Officers were hopeful of recovering at least some of the £36,000 he is thought to have made.
They also plan a ‘week of action’ in Egremont and Whitehaven from February 6 to 10 to warn people against loan sharks and direct them towards legitimate lenders such as credit unions.
Mr Denny said: “The typical loan-shark victim is female, aged between 30 and 40 and living in social housing.
“We are seeing more self-employed victims with the economic downturn. Taxi drivers are a good example who may need money in a hurry if their cab is off the road.
“Repayments are at least twice the original amount borrowed and the illegal lenders often use violence,
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