Malvern Hills District Council sent bailiffs to collect hundreds of debts last year, a new report reveals.

Freedom of Information requests by the Money Advice Trust, which operates the National Debtline, show that Malvern Hills District Council referred 856 debts to bailiffs in 2018-19 .

That's 80 fewer than two years earlier – a drop of nine per cent.

Bailiffs, also known as enforcement agents, visit properties to remove and sell goods for the repayment of certain debts, including council tax arrears, parking notices and others owed to the council.

The Money Advice Trust says bailiffs should only be called in as a last resort, and is urging the Government to implement a national strategy to reduce their use across England and Wales.

Its Stop the Knock 2019 report revealed a seven per cent increase in bailiff use across England and Wales over the last two years, with 2.6 million cases in 2018-19 – driven by a 21 per cent rise in the number of parking debts referred.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity, said: "Bailiff action is harmful to people in debt, and these findings should concern us all. Reforming the law around bailiff action itself is vital if we are to protect people from harm. Of equal importance, however, is reducing the number of debts that are being passed to bailiffs in the first place.

"Bailiff action should only ever be used as a last resort, and can be avoided by early intervention, providing free debt advice, and agreeing affordable repayment arrangements.

"We will continue to work constructively with councils to help them reduce their bailiff use, and to impress upon central government the urgent need for the national policy changes that are required to quicken the pace of change."