A SINGLE mum has spoken out about her experience of being trapped by a loan shark, someone she thought was a friend, who drove her to the brink of suicide and made her family homeless at Christmas.

Michelle, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, has shared her story to encourage others to report their experiences and seek support.

Michelle had recently moved to a new area in the North East after escaping an abusive relationship. When her hours were cut at work, money became tight for her. Her son's birthday was coming up and she needed emergency cash to see her through the month.

She had become friends with another mum at the school. The woman offered to help Michelle out with a loan, and said she knew what it was like to need extra money, and that she could pay her back next month.

Read more: Council purchase Goodwins building in Redcar town centre

Michelle thought her new friend was just helping her out.

It started with a small loan for £50, but then the loan shark offered to lend Michelle larger sums of money with interest. The most she borrowed at one time was £350, and she repaid nearly £2,500. The debt quickly spiralled out of control with double interest piled on.

The £50 turned into thousands of pounds being paid in cash over several months, with no records kept. The loan shark knew the date Michelle got paid, so knew when to chase for the money.

In a video released by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), Michelle described her experience as ‘soul-destroying' and that she lived in constant fear of what would happen next to her family.

She said: "I was stressed over the repayments. I knew I had to pay her back because I had seen what she had done to other people if they didn't pay back. She made it her business to know exactly what days money went in my bank."

"I got to the point of wanting to end everything. I was very suicidal and didn't know who to go to. There were threats on my life and on my home. I had windows put in and I would get messages off people bullying me because she had sent them to my door, she even used local youths in the area as a campaign of terror."

When Michelle struggled to keep up with the repayments, the loan shark resorted to intimidation and violence, making her life a misery. She was sent threatening messages, people threw things at her house, left unwanted items on her doorstep, and smashed the windows at night.

Michelle was petrified to leave the house in case something bad happened to her family. Her children knew something was going on, but she tried to hide it from them. She was worried about their safety, so made the decision to leave in a hurry. She fled the family home with her three children and left all her possessions behind.

It didn't just end there for Michelle. She continued to receive abuse online and cruel comments were posted on social media by the loan shark and the loan shark's associates. The shaming post went viral and many of her close friends and family also saw it.

Michelle's family became homeless just before Christmas last year. They were given temporary accommodation by the council.

Michelle got in touch with the helpline number for Stop Loan Sharks.

She said: "From that first phone call, I suddenly felt like I could breathe for the first time because the person on the phone understood my situation and there was no judgement.

"There's no shame or embarrassment by asking for help, and don't allow someone like that to take advantage of you."

In the video, Cath Williams, LIAISE Manager for the IMLT says: "People like Michelle often blame themselves, but the truth is the loan sharks are criminals who prey on people when they're at their most vulnerable."

Thanks to specialist support provided by the IMLT, Michelle's family now have a permanent home in a safe location, and they are looking forward to Christmas without the stress and worry of loan sharks.

She said: "That person preyed on me because I was vulnerable. I was a victim. Life is completely different now; I have a wonderful home and a fantastic job. We deserve to have a good Christmas this year and we will."

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054