Personal debt in Northern Ireland is out of control and will result in a crisis if action is not taken, an expert has warned.

Uel Adair, president of the Irish League of Credit Unions, has told the BBC a cap should be put on the amount people can borrow.

He said: "People who are being, what I would say, given the promised land, are being told that if you borrow this particular money, we will always be here for you."

Those with little income will "seize" an opportunity to increase their funds without fully considering the implications of debt, argued Mr Adair.

However, for some, Mr Adair’s comments come too late and they are already struggling with personal debt problems.

For many, one option could be an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), which was created by the government to offer an alternative to bankruptcy.

IVAs allow debtors to write off any unaffordable debt and to become debt free within a set period of time, usually five years.