THE number of people going bankrupt in North Yorkshire has more than trebled over the last decade according to figures released by a debt charity.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) obtained figures from the Insolvency Service which show that the amount of people going bankrupt in North Yorkshire has risen from five per 10,000 people in 2000, to 18.3 per 10,000 people in 2009.

Debt expert Delroy Corinaldi said: “The rise in the rate of bankruptcy in North Yorkshire over the last ten years is alarming.”

“The debt charity believes that this figure could continue to rise with the continuing economic downturn and factors such as inflation, wage freezes and redundancy affecting many.

He added: “Anyone in North Yorkshire who is concerned about their debts should seek advice and support from a debt charity such as CCCS or their local Citizens Advice Bureaux as soon as they realise they have a problem.”