LOAN sharks have been targeting estates in Hounslow as the borough's debt problems increase, it was warned this week.

Unscrupulous dealers have been going door-to-door offering to lend money, often at extortionate rates.

Parveen Sohal, director of Hounslow Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), said she was particularly concerned about reports of loan sharks operating in Butts Farm Estate, Hanworth, and other deprived communities.

She urged people not to take out loans on their doorstep, which could land them with crippling repayments, and to seek advice before borrowing money at all.

"Our general policy is that people should never take on more loans and credit," she told the Chronicle. "A lot of people on low incomes have large debts because they've been allowed to take on such big loans."

Her warning comes as the latest figures from the charity show debt problems are increasing for people across Hounslow. More than a quarter of the 20,000 enquiries dealt with by staff at the bureau's offices in Chiswick, Feltham and Hounslow so far this year are related to debt.

That's already up from 23 per cent in 2009/10 and the problems could get worse as residents struggle to cope with the effect of huge public sector job cuts.

Ms Sohal said there was a particular problem in Chiswick and surrounding areas with older people struggling to repay mortgages and secured loans on their properties.

She also raised concerns about so-called log book loans, in which people offer up their cars as security for loans with interest rates of up to 1,000 per cent. A number of pawnbrokers, payday loan and cheque cashing stores have opened across the borough in recent months. The Money Shop alone now has two branches in Hounslow High Street and one in Hanworth.

Ms Sohal advised anybody struggling with debt to contact Hounslow CAB first to see what help is available.

You can call the charity, which has just secured a four-year contract with Hounslow Council as part of the new tendering process, on 0844 4994 113.

TOPS REASONS FOR DEBT-RELATED ENQUIRIES DEALT WITH BY HOUNSLOW CAB

Credit cards - 19%
Unsecured personal loans - 12%
Bank or building society overdrafts - 8%
Council tax - 8%
Fuel debt - 5%
Bankruptcy - 5%
Debt relief orders -5%