SENIOR councillors have been shown a hard-hitting film on loan-sharking filmed on a former council estate to highlight how young people can be drawn into the grim world of debt.

Blackburn with Darwen's Executive Board is now set to sign up to a national charter to tackle illegal moneylending and its often violent methods of enforcement.

The gritty black and white 15-minute film 'Landsharks' was made on the Shadsworth estate and stars residents.

It shows how teenager AJ is drawn into the loan-sharking world and the threats used to ensure repyament at extortionate rates of interest.

Borough resources boss Cllr Andy Kay said: "This is powerful work similar to Play for Today's 'Cathy Come Home' in the 1960s which brought the plight of the homeless to national attention.

"We hope this will have a similar effect locally.

"We need to crackdown on loansharking and support credit unions as an alternative"

The film was financed by money confiscated from criminals under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

The national Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) worked with Blackburn with Darwen Council, Great Places Housing Group, Newground and Blackburn local filmmaker Aaron Dunleavy to create the film.

Cllr Kay said: "Blackburn with Darwen has been working with the IMLT since 2008. Some enquiries have been undertaken in the Borough, but no formal action as yet.

"The film is the start of a push in the borough to try to develop intelligence to identify local loan sharks.

"A ‘Loan Sharks Charter’ will be promoted in the Borough later in the year to pull together various organisations for the better channelling of intelligence and information.

"More importantly, we will continue to promote the Jubilee Tower Credit Union which operates across the borough."