Bailiffs: Charity calls for more responsible collection

Local councils used bailiffs to collect an "excessive" £1.8m of debts in the past year, according to the Money Advice Trust.

The figure comes after the debt advice charity submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 374 local authorities in England and Wales.

The charity called on councils to be more responsible in managing their debt collection.

But councils say bailiffs are only ever used as a "last resort".

Mike Sergeant reports.