A CHARITY has written to South Gloucestershire and Stroud District councils over their "too high" use of bailiffs to collect debts.

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) called in bailiffs to collect debts from individuals and businesses 5,419 times in 2014/15, a 71 per cent increase on the 3,175 in the 2012 calendar year.

Stroud District Council (SDC) used bailiffs 942 times in 2014/15, down nine per cent from 1,030 in 2012.

The figures were revealed following a freedom of information request by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline.

The research was part of National Debtline’s new Stop The Knock campaign, which urges councils to only call on bailiffs as a last resort.

SGC was ranked 168 out of 326 for local authority bailiff use in England and Wales, relative to size of authority, while SDC was at 289.

SGC ended the 2014/15 financial year with £5.2million owed in unpaid council tax arrears, while SDC was owed £1.3million.

National Debtline has written to both councils with details of its latest research, and to call for them to avoid using bailiffs if possible.

Joanna Elson OBE, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, said: said: “The councils' use of bailiffs remains too high. On the front line of debt advice we know that sending the bailiffs in can deepen debt problems, rather than solve them – and it can also have a severe impact on the wellbeing of people who are often already in a vulnerable situation.”