Woman arrested on suspicion of being a loan shark

The woman was arrested following an operation by the England Illegal Money Lending Team

A 63-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of being an illegal loan shark.

A warrant was executed at an address in Crewe on Wednesday, the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) said.

Electronic devices and paperwork were seized, and the suspect taken into custody to be questioned by investigators.

The woman was helping with inquiries, said the IMLT, which was working in partnership with Cheshire East trading standards.

“We want to reassure anyone who thinks they have borrowed from an illegal lender that they have done nothing wrong," said Tony Quigley, head of the body that prosecutes illegal money lenders.

Those in debt to a suspected loan shark were urged to contact the IMLT for expert support and advice, he added.