DEBT-RIDDEN residents will receive special support thanks to a £12,000 cash injection.

The Citizens' Advice Bureau for Cirencester and the Cotswolds has been given the timely grant by Cotswold District Council.

It will fund a specialised debt advisor until early 2011 - when it is hoped many clients might be over the worst of the recession.

Despite its affluent image, cases had spiralled in the Cotswolds said Andrew Banfield, Cheltenham, Cirencester andTewkesbury CAB manager.

"You normally categorise the Cotswolds as an area of people with large houses and large incomes," he said.

"When that gets cut off the more difficult it is as they have a higher percentage of outgoings, so a higher percentage of indebtedness.

"Our society has been encouraged to live on maximum credit and earnings and if this is used to purchase an expensive lifestyle it creates all sorts of problems."

Cirencester and Cotswolds CAB dealt with 330 debt inquiries in quarters one and two in 2009/10, a leap from 249 in the same period in 2008/09 - a projected 32 per cent increase.

Cotswolds clients owed an average sum between £25,000 and £30,000, compared to £18,000 across the country.

Eighteen months ago the majority of people seeking help had one or two debts, but this has increased to as many as 10 or 12 creditors.

Mr Banfield said: "Our experience shows numbers of debt clients always increase after Christmas as a result of credit card and store card spending.

"And with the recent cold weather there will be an inevitable increase in fuel costs and bills for what is always the heaviest quarter which again are received at end January to the beginning of February.

"There's increasing evidence that much stress is caused by debt problems with the knock on effect of time lost to local businesses and similarly there is a very definite link between financial problems and domestic violence and the break down of relationships.

"Early intervention with good debt advice can help address these problems and we're thrilled to bits with this grant.

"We've been trying to find ways of supporting a specialist debt advisor for a long time who will be able to take on more complicated cases and free up many of our other advisors."

District council deputy leader and corporate planning portfolio holder Carole Topple said: "This is not an easy time for many people, and we're seeing an increasing number of debt problems which are not straightforward.

"Some residents are managing very high sums of debt and need all the help they can get while the recession continues to bite.

"Bringing in a specialist will ensure the CAB will supplement their current debt advice service with the best possible know-how at this crucial time."