Report accuses bailiffs of abuse

Bailiffs were this week accused of 'intimidation, harassment, and excessive fee charging' in a National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB) report which concluded that the use of bailiffs 'should be scrapped'.The report, based on evidence from 300 bureaux nationwide, found that bailiffs misrepresent their powers, are abusive and aggressive, lie and cheat their way into people's homes, use threats of violence and prison to extort payment, can more than treble their fees, seize essential household equipment such as fridges, and remove property from the wrong people.The report said the use of bailiffs was an 'archaic relic of medieval times with no place in the modern world'.NACAB chief executive David Harker said: 'There must be more emphasis on debt recovery practices that ensure repayment at affordable and sustainable rates, rather than pushing people even deeper into endless debt.'Philip Evans, secretary to the Certificated Bailiffs Association - bailiffs' professional body - agreed that the law of distress should be modernised, and that there should be a national standard for the training and licensing of bailiffs, but said the allegations 'create the illusion of widespread malpractice and miss the issue'.

Jeremy Fleming