We're All Very Bad at 'Shopping' People - But Some People Need to be 'Shopped' to be Stopped

There are very few things upon which the Irish, the Welsh, the Scots and the English can all agree, but the ban on 'shopping' anybody for anything less than the abuse of small children or multiple homicide is taken very, very seriously by most of us. Perhaps too seriously, sometimes, and in some cases.

An estimated 165,000 households in the UK are using unlicensed moneylenders - most of them in Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands - who offer cash loans without paperwork, may take benefit money or bank cards as security, and often threaten or use violence to get money.

The Office of Fair Trading has joined a campaign to warn people of the dangers of loan sharks who use violence to enforce exhorbitant interest on debts. As part of the Stop Loan Sharks campaign the OFT and the Trading Standards Illegal Money Lending Teams have released a video urging people to report loan sharks and will be distributing posters throughout Scotland, Wales and England.

Additionally, the Stop Loan Sharks campaign website (and we've provided the link above) allows people to learn more about loan sharks, report loan sharks in confidence by telephone, e-mail or text/sms, and talks about different and safer ways to borrow money.

So far, the Stop Loan Sharks project has helped more than 11,000 people, written off more than £31 million of illegal debt, seized £1 million in cash, and successfully prosecuted a number of people, one of whom will be serving an indefinite sentence for the protection of the public - and that last little nugget of information says it all, really, doesn't it?

I don't like the idea of 'shopping' anybody - actually it's a repulsive idea - but loan sharks need to be stopped. They prey on people. They cause enormous misery and pain and exacerbate poverty.

So it's either 'shop' to stop, or turn a blind eye. Either way, you're going to have to come to terms with your conscience and live with it. I know what I'd choose to do.

Emily - http://www.therapypartnership.com