A bid to crack down on loan sharks that prey on the vulnerable in Cornwall has been launched by Safer Cornwall.

Working with 'Stop Loan Sharks’, part of the government’s 'Illegal Money Lending Team', the move is a bid to to clamp down on illegal money lending, and people are being asked to get in touch to help tackle the blight.

David Parker, community safety officer with Cornwall Council said: “We know that loan sharks are currently operating in Cornwall, but we need to gather more intelligence to identify and ultimately prosecute loan sharks who make a living out of preying on the vulnerable. 

"Loan sharks may initially appear to be your ‘friends’ and even live nearby, but they quickly turn to threatening and sometime violent behaviour when they are not paid. Safer Cornwall wants to help people avoid these unscrupulous individuals.

"We are calling on our partners, residents, people who have already borrowed money and are worried, and anyone who has information about the identity and activities of these individuals to get in contact and let us know.”

Loan sharks are people who lend money to others without authority and without the appropriate licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading.

They rarely, if ever, give any paperwork and if payments are missed they often use intimidation and violence to get money from their "clients".

David added: “If you have been offered a cash loan; threatened when you couldn’t pay; had your bank card been taken from you as a security or, if what you owe keep growing even though you are making payments, then you may well have been bitten by a loan shark.

"If you, or anyone you know, has experienced any of these things or has any knowledge of loan shark activities then contact the Stop Loan Sharks team in complete confidence.”

Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet member for homes and communities said: “ I would urge anyone who is experiencing serious financial difficulties to seek help and advice from experts, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, rather than resorting to loans from unknown people.”

If you have any information, however small, on loan shark activities contact Stop Loan Sharks on the links below, or call 0300 5552222