Payday loan lender: 'We only lend to workers'

Billboard adverts for so-called payday loan firms could be banned in Newcastle after councillors reported a 400% rise in people seeking help with debts.

Newcastle City Council has already blocked access to the most popular payday websites from computers at its libraries and customer service centres.

Julio Martino is a payday lender operating in the north east of England.

Speaking to BBC he said that his company only provided loans for workers and was "dedicated to not lending to people who we think cannot pay us back in a reasonable and timely manner".

He also urged councils to ensure they were properly informed before taking any "knee jerk" decisions.