CHESTER residents have lower levels of personal debt than people who live in other parts of the UK, new figures suggest.
People from the region who contacted debt advice charity Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) in 2010 owed an average of £18,451 in unsecured debts. That figure was nearly £1,000 cheaper than the UK average as a whole, which stood at £19,338.
However, charity staff warned against complacency after the number of people contacting the CCCS helpline from the Chester area rose by 13 per cent in just two years, to 1,348.
Delroy Corinaldi, external affairs director at CCCS, said: “While debt levels in Chester are below the UK average, the continuing squeeze on household budgets is making it increasingly difficult for many debtors to repay what they owe, and I remain concerned about the personal debt situation in the area.
“I would urge anyone in Chester who is worried about how to deal with their debts to seek free advice from a charity such as CCCS as early as possible.”
The figures were revealed by Debt View, a new map on the CCCS website that breaks down personal debt by region, area and postcode.