The total level of personal debt in the UK totalled £1,459 billion at the end of April, new statistics have revealed.

Credit Action said this had slowed by 1.8 per cent over the last 12 months, although still marked an increase of around £22.4 billion.

The statistics followed recent comments from Frances Walker, spokesperson at the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, who predicted that debt worries were unlikely to subside.

"There are … things like unemployment and people struggling to repay their mortgages, so I think the nature of debt is changing a bit," she continued.

The figures from Credit Action showed that total consumer lending to individuals at the end of April stood at £1,227 billion, although this has slowed further by 0.4 per cent over the last year.

Furthermore, the company said that the average level of household debt in the UK is £9,280 (not including mortgages), although it increases to £21,570 for those who have some form of unsecured loan.

Consumer borrowing during this period also experienced a rise, equating to £4,850 for the average adult in the UK using credit cards, finance deals, unsecured personal loans and overdraft facilities.