A large amount of people will be relying on credit to fund their Christmas spending and it is a worrying time of year for those struggling with debt, an expert has said.

Susan Hannums, savings manager with AWD Chase de Vere, has warned that Christmas can be an incredibly expensive time of year.

"Credit has become so acceptable and so the norm that there is definitely going to be a huge amount of people who will depend on it for the Christmas season," she warned.

However, those relying on credit for the festive season should be careful as high rates make this a worrying time for debtors, added Ms Hannums.

Financial advice charity Credit Action reports that average consumer borrowing using credit cards, retail finance deals, loans and overdrafts had risen to an average £4,524 per adult by the end of August.

It claims Britain’s personal debt is increasing by £1 million every four minutes.