Borrowing money in the UK could become an increasingly expensive way to spend, according to one expert.

Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax, has maintained that lenders could force consumers to seek out more expensive debt by rejecting their requests for loans and credit cards.

Millions of people are already facing money problems and being forced into using sub-prime lending could add to their debt management difficulties, Mr Munroe has suggested.

In fact, the Equifax spokesperson said that there is likely to have been some people "around the margins" that have been rejected by high street lenders and have sought loans with high rates as a result.

He said: "If the banks start to reject people more…they may be forced into more high cost borrowing, so forced down into the sub-prime or near-prime market, whereas before they might not have considered going there."

According to data from Credit Action, the typical British household has a debt management burden worth more than £9,000, excluding mortgage arrears.