An increasing proportion of consumers across the country are turning to doorstep loans as their money problems worsen, it has been suggested.

Credit has become more difficult to access in recent months and as a result the offers made by short-term loans are gaining in popularity, according to a report from Equifax on behalf of ITV.

Many people with debt problems view such credit deals as the only way to get by but the interest rates are such that a difficult financial situation could very quickly become much worse.

The research found that almost one in three people who are concerned about their ability to gain credit had used doorstep loans.

Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax, said: "We urge people to talk to their lender if they are struggling with repayments in order to avoid trouble further down the line."

Richard Brown, chief executive of moneynet.co.uk, suggested recently that when it comes to being accepted or refused for a loan deal, lenders look solely at the evidence contained in a person’s credit history file.