People are being urged not to feel ashamed of their money worries and admit their debt problems to friends and family.

If more consumers talked openly about debt management issues then they would realise they are not on their own, explains Jessica Bown, independent consumer journalist at talkaboutdebt.co.uk.

"One of the main problems with debt is that people feel very isolated and by failing to talk to anyone about their problems they make the situation worse and end up getting into deeper and deeper debt," she warned.

Ms Bown urges anyone with debt management issues to speak to a professional, who can help them plan a way out of debt and cope better with their situation.

Figures from moneysupermarket.com show that more than half of the UK adult population carry an average non-mortgage debt of £6,956.

And despite increasing awareness of global financial difficulties, more than a quarter of Brits have taken on more debt in the past year, with eight per cent saying they are "a lot" more in the red.