Nearly one in five people in the UK have amassed debts of more than £10,000 on credit cards, loans, overdrafts and hire purchase agreements, a survey showed today.
An estimated eight million people owe a five-figure sum, according to debt solutions firm Thomas Charles.
More than half of those people had at least three cards, while three per cent had more than ten.
Just over a fifth of people said they owed between £5000 and £10,000.