By Sarah Newstead

Last updated 11:43, Thursday, 03 July 2008

CUMBRIA police is cracking down on loan sharks who prey on the poor with a new elite squad of investigators.

The force has teamed up with an illegal money lending investigation team from Birmingham to target unscrupulous loan sharks across the county.

They aim to wipe out illegal debt owed by some of the poorest members of society.

DCI Andy Slattery 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.

“Illegal money lending is directly linked to other forms of criminality such as drug trafficking and money laundering which are among our top priorities.”

Officers will be working closely with Cumbria County Council and the specialist team to gather intelligence and offer operational support to target loan sharks operating in the county.

The investigation team is funded by the Government and will be carrying out detailed surveillance work throughout Cumbria.

It is estimated they have already wiped out more than £4 million of illegal debt in the UK, seized guns and drugs and recovered more than £100,000 worth of counterfeit items.

Anyone with concerns about illegal money lenders is urged to call the freephone hotline on 0300 555 2222 or email stoploansharks@ cumbriacc.gov.uk.