Bedford’s local Labour candidate Patrick Hall is assembling debt agencies to debate the problem of payday loans on March 28.

Members of the public affected by debt are invited along with debt agencies, which include Bedford Credit Union, Money Advice, Family Groups, Salvation Army, Bedfordshire Advice Forum, and Christians Against Poverty.

Services manager at the Bedford Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Dean Crofts will be present at the debate.

He told Bedford Today: “In term of the issues that our clients are bringing in, debt is our number one issue, and the biggest issue within that is loans that people can’t repay.

“Over the last couple of years we have seen an increase in payday loans. It was the High Street bank loans we were seeing but since the crash in 2008/09 we are seeing more and more people take out these short-term loans and they just can’t pay them back.”

The Citizens Advice Bureau is campaigning for payday companies to fork out a levy charge.

The meeting will take place at St Peter De Merton Church Chapter House on De Parys Avenue, Bedford, from 7pm.