Families ordered to court over rising debt

Stourbridge families are being hit hard by the credit crunch with the number of County Court Judgements issued by courts in the town soaring by 75 per cent.

Figures released for the first quarter of 2008 reveal more than 120 people living in the town have been taken to court already this year by creditors trying to reclaim debts.

Only 69 were taken to court over the same period last year - showing how the credit crunch has hit people in Stourbridge hard.

The figures have been taken from the Register of County Court Judgements and compiled by credit reference agency Callcredit for various towns across the country.

Callcredit's Owen Roberts said the figures showed how the current financial situation was impacting on people living in the town.

"The rising cost of living and increases in mortgage rates appear to be hitting residents in Stourbridge hard," he said.

"They are no doubt a contributory factor to the rise in CCJs being issued.

The biggest change in the survey came in Shoreditch, with 1,260 CCJs given compared to just under 500 last year, a 154 per cent rise.

In Redditch the figure was up 54 per cent from 127 to 202.