THE North-East has a higher proportion of adults grappling with debt problems than anywhere in England, according to a survey.

The survey by the Money Advice Service found 17.7 per cent of adults were ‘over indebted’ in the region.

In Yorkshire the figure was 16.9 per cent.

The organisation was set up by the Government to offer impartial advice to people suffering money problems.

People identified as over-indebted were likely to find meeting monthly bills a heavy burden and/or had missed more than two bill payments within a six-month period.

About 8.3m across the UK are estimated to be dealing with a debt problem.

The most indebted part of the UK was Newham, London with a figure of 22.7 per cent.

Sheila Wheeler, director of debt at the Money Advice Service, said: “One in six people in the UK have financial worries.

“Debt is a complex challenge and one that needs a collaborative approach to successfully address it.”