AS founder of the Bankruptcy Association, set up 24 years ago to provide independent advice to people in debt and facing bankruptcy, as I am appalled by the current proliferation of debt management companies and so called free debt advice services that

AS founder of the Bankruptcy Association, set up 24 years ago to provide independent advice to people in debt and facing bankruptcy, as I am appalled by the current proliferation of debt management companies and so called 'free debt advice' services that are bundling people into unsuitable voluntary arrangements that provide incredibly high fees for those companies that promote them.

Individual voluntary arrangements - known as IVAs - often fail and become painful bankruptcies.

Due to the vast expansion of the easy availability of credit in the UK hundreds of thousands of people now have debt repayments due that they cannot repay each year. In addition thousands of businesses fail each year. Our Association can help all these people deal with their problems in a straightforward sensible manner.

Details of our publications and our Association can be seen at our website at www.theba.org.uk or we can be contacted at our telephone number on 01524 782713.

JOHN MCQUEEN

Bankruptcy Association

Abraham Heights

Lancaster