Specialist teams have been brought into the district to track down loan sharks who prey on vulnerable people in the run-up to Christmas.

Illegal money-lenders are to be targeted in the far-reaching crackdown by West Yorkshire Trading Standards and Bradford Council.

Victims will be encouraged to report unscrupulous loan sharks, with the incentive that they could have their their debts wiped out.

Councillor Martin Smith, the Council's executive member for Safer Communities, said: "Loan sharks can make people's lives a misery. We need to give residents confidence and help them to get out of the debt trap caused by these people.

"I would appeal to residents to report these parasites on the helpline. Ridding the streets of these illegal money-lenders has led to a significant drop in crime, meaning a safer community for everyone."

Councillor Malcolm Slater, chairman of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee, said: "As we approach Christmas many people push their budgets to the limit and can fall into debt. Loan sharks prey on the most vulnerable members of society and place whole communities under their control and influence.

"We are confident this team will be as successful in Bradford as it has already been so far in the Midlands."

The Treasury-funded scheme is being rolled out across the country by the Birmingham Illegal Money Lending Team, part of the second city's Trading Standards Department.

Since it began operations, the team has identified more than 140 targets, and has made prosecutions for illegal money-lending and associated crimes, resulting in prison sentences totalling 30 years.

Investigations have resulted in more than £2.5m of debt being wiped out and more than 2,000 victims being helped. Proceeds of Crime investigations are underway to recover more than £1million from those engaged in the illegal activity.

The team has uncovered loan sharks who have terrorised whole communities, in some cases charging interest rates which have soared to an astronomical 117,000 per cent.

Graham Hebblethwaite, chief officer for West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: "My message to anybody tempted to borrow from a loan shark is just don't do it.

"Illegal money lenders are the scourge of our communities and this new initiative will mean there's no hiding place for loan sharks."

"Christmas is a time when people often get into debt and this is a time when sometimes people go to loan sharks when they really are going to get themselves into a lot of trouble if they do that."

The helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on (01274) 821122.

Case study A 19-year-old working man approached a money lender, who loaned him £400, requiring repayment of £600.

The young man broke his arm shortly afterwards and was unable to work and pay back the loan on time. In response the loan shark threatened to break his other arm. As a result the young man tried to avoid the loan shark until he could get the money together, but he was eventually spotted by the loan shark and an accomplice at a bus stop. The young man was dragged into a car and repeatedly punched in the face. He was then driven away and shown off "as a trophy" to other borrowers, before being taken to a house where he was tortured, suffering cuts with a machete and being beaten with a baseball bat.

The loan shark then demanded £2,000 must be repaid. He subsequently contacted the loan sharks helpline and was put into a witness protection programme.

As a result, the loan shark received a jail sentence of six years, nine months for the illegal money lending, kidnap and wounding charges.

All money lenders, operating as consumer credit businesses, must obtain a consumer credit licence from the Office of Fair Trading before engaging in the activity of money lending.