The level of personal debt in the UK is still increasing, new figures show, marking a rise of £28 billion over the last 12 months.

Findings, compiled by CreditAction, show that personal debt at the end of March stood at £1,459 billion, with secured lending on dwellings at £1,227 billion.

Last month, Frances Walker, spokesperson for the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, said: "Obviously credit is less available, it is more expensive and I think people are finding it more difficult.

"Then there are other things like unemployment and people struggling to repay their mortgages, so I think the nature of debt is changing a bit."

She added that people’s problems are becoming more complex, which makes it increasingly difficult for them to manage their debts effectively.

These latest statistics reveal that the total consumer lending to individuals at the end of March totalled £232 billion, with lending as a whole growing by £0.9 billion.

In addition to this, it is suggested that one person every four-and-a-half minutes is declared either bankrupt or insolvent.