Crackdown planned on loan sharks

Loan sharks in Cumbria could soon find themselves being targeted by a special squad of investigators from Birmingham.

The government-backed taskforce has teamed up with local police to track down illegal money lenders and prosecute them.

Cumbria Trading Standards will also help the National Illegal Money Lending Investigation Service team.

The team specialises in obtaining search warrants and carrying out detailed surveillance work.

Det Chf Insp Andy Slattery of Cumbria Police said: "Loan sharks prey on the most vulnerable members of the community, those who have got into debt and are conned into believing the answers to their problems lie in borrowing money illegally.

"They can very quickly find their debts spiralling out of control and being engulfed in a world of violence and heartache."