There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people in debt in St Albans, according to new figures released by a debt charity.

Last year, 474 city residents contacted StepChange Debt Charity’s helpline, up from 312 in 2012, an increase of 52 per cent.

The figures show people contacting the charity are struggling to make ends meet, and are, on average, £1 short of covering their essential household bills each month.

Last year, people from the St Albans area who contacted the charity’s helpline owed an average of £13,341 in unsecured debt.

Mike O’Connor, chief executive of StepChange, said: "Debt can have a devastating effect on people’s lives in the form of mental health issues and family breakdown. We need people to take early action to prevent some of the worst effects and get back on their financial feet much sooner".