A seven-year-old girl from Newbury won an art competition with her poster raising awareness of loan sharks.

Sienna, from The Willows School Greenham, won an art kit for her success.

The poster will form part of Public Protection Partnership’s awareness campaign surrounding around illegal money lending.

Illegal money lenders, are unlicensed (lending without a Consumer Credit licence) and operate outside the law.

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They are commonly referred to as loan sharks and charge very high interest rates on open ended loans, making it very difficult for the borrower to see when the loan would ever be paid off.

Reading Chronicle: Sienna's design featured on a Public Protection Partnership posterSienna's design featured on a Public Protection Partnership poster

Tony Quigley, Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team, says: “We would urge anyone affected by illegal money lending to get in touch on our 24-hour helpline or contact us via live chat on our website.

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“Our advice to residents in need of financial support would be to turn to a credit union rather than a loan shark who could take advantage and charge extortionate interest rates.”

The project provides schools and community advice on illegal money lending and signposts to the illegal money lending hotline 0300 555 2222. You can download the poster here or request one by emailing tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk