BAILIFFS ARE ‘LAW UNTO THEMSELVES’

Bailiffs broke industry rules in more than a third of the visits they made in the past two years.

A poll by Citizens Advice and debt charity StepChange suggests 2.2 million people were contacted by bailiffs in that time.

Yet the research indicates 850,000 people encountered bailiffs appearing to breach rules introduced in 2014.

For instance, nearly one in five witnessed unsympathetic treatment towards people with an illness or disability, one in six said bailiffs threatened to break in to recover debts, and one in 10 had goods needed for their work removed.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Too often bailiffs, and the firms they work for, are a law unto themselves.

“This is inflicting widespread harm on people and their families and it has to stop.”