Pay-day lenders’ access to advertising is far too broad, especially among football clubs who should know better

And the festive season is a time when many will feel under immense pressure to spend and are therefore at their most vulnerable. A time of goodwill to all men? I think not – it’s just simply the ideal chance to make money for the pay-day lenders.

The TV world of payday lending paints a reassuring picture for those in need of help, with adverts promising cash in the bank within minutes.

The reality, however, is so far removed for this seemingly perfect solution to financial woes.

On more than one occasion I have sat in front of people who in their own words, “wanted to end it all” because of the situation they had got into with pay-day lenders. Their debts had spiralled out of control.

Rarely do people end up with just one pay-day loan and in my experience most have two or three. In the most extreme case I have seen to date, one person had 10 pay-day loans and had descended into a whirlpool of debt.

Those who get involved quickly see a problem without a solution, after the initial relief of thinking their financial worries were being addressed.

Quite how an interest rate of 4,000 per cent APR helps anyone should be a key question asked of those who charge it.

Credit unions are one possible solution to this crisis, with interest rates capped by law at no more than 26 per cent. They, along with other organisations are there to help people out of debt, not create more.

Unfortunately, there are so many channels open to pay-day lenders to attract new customers with clever marketing and advertising, and it upsets me greatly to see football clubs promoting pay-day lenders on their shirts. Social responsibility seems to have been cast aside in favour of sponsorship pounds and the number of replica shirts that will be in Santa’s sack this year, funded by over-priced loans and carrying their damaging message?