A MAN and woman were arrested in Bath on June 10 on suspicion of illegal money lending, and money laundering.

The arrests followed an early morning operation by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (ILMT) in partnership with officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit to execute a warrant at an address in the Twerton area.

Officers seized electronic devices and documentation.

The suspects, a 45-year-old woman and a man aged 48, were taken into custody to be questioned by IMLT investigators.

The IMLT works in partnership with the Bath and North East Somerset Trading Standards Service to investigate and prosecute illegal money lenders.

Head of the IMLT, Dave Benbow, said: “We will not tolerate illegal lending in our communities and we work with our partners across England to take action against those break the law in this way.

“If you have been offered a loan, been threatened when you could not pay, or if what you owe keeps growing even though you are making payments, then you may well have been targeted by an illegal lender.

"If you, or anybody you know, has experienced any of these things or has any knowledge of illegal lending activities then contact our team in complete confidence.”

More than a million people are thought to be in debt to loan sharks in England, according to figures from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).

Many illegal money lenders are well-known within their communities and are often introduced to borrowers through friends or family members.

They are unregulated and give loans with no paperwork, adding huge charges, and using threats, intimidation, and even violence if repayments are not made.

Anybody who has been affected by illegal money lending should call the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online.