Consumers trapped by payday loans

Payday loans are trapping increasing numbers of consumers in a downward spiral of debt caused by exorbitant penalty charges, a consumer group has warned. More than 60 per cent of people who take out payday loans are using the money for household bills or buying other essentials like food, nappies and petrol, a survey by Which? found. The figures show an “alarming” picture of people trapped in debt caused by penalty charges because they cannot afford to pay back the loan on time, the watchdog said. A quarter (25 per cent) of those who had taken out loans said they had been hit with hidden charges such as high fees for reminder letters, and one in five (18 per cent) were not able to pay back their loan on time. * Dawn French and Jason Donovan have been signed up as judges for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for the lead in his musical Jesus Christ Superstar. And Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden is confirmed as host of the live heats of the ITV1 programme, which launches this summer. The series, called Superstar, will fill “The eurozone is at a crossroads - it either has to make up or it is looking at a potential break-up” - The Prime Minister, warning of “perilous economic times”. “In show business, as in much of business, it is often less about today and more about tomorrow. So after the obligatory celebratory packet of pork scratchings and a pint at the pub round the corner, it will be back to the grindstone” - Broadcaster Chris Evans on the news that he has extended his BBC Radio 2 breakfast audience lead over the Radio 1 rival. “Men love their women to have depth, but only when it comes to their cleavages” - An unnamed film director alleging sexism at the Cannes Film Festival.

“In the name of tolerance, it seems to me tolerance is being abolished” - Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’connor, the country’s most senior Roman Catholic, on what he claims many Christians see as a state-backed attempt to sideline their faith. “I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress” - The Duke of Edinburgh, 90, on meeting a blonde in a red frock with a fulllength zip during a royal visit to Bromley, Kent. Miriam Margolyes, actress, 71; Nobby Stiles, former footballer, 70; Rick Wakeman, rock musician, 63; Chow Yun-fat, actor, 57; Toyah Willcox, singer/actress, 54; Holly Aird, actress, 43; Martika, singer and actress, 43; Tina Fey, actress/comedian/writer, 42; Danny Mills, footballer, 35