Excuse me sir, can I offer you a Marks & Spencer Credit Card?

9.40.08pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th Aug 2006

When the Chief Executive of a major bank says "I do not borrow on credit cards; its too expensive" as Matthew Barrett, CE of Barclays, did in 2003 you have to stop and reflect on your own habits as a consumer. For most people, credit cards are a normal part of shopping - and used within an individual's budget there should never be a problem. But credit is available everywhere, with mailshots frequently arriving from banks, and now increasingly store cards being promoted aggressively by the high street chains.

The store cards are the worst of all in terms of value for the consumer - just check the APR. More than one in five credit card holders do not pay off the full amount each month. And as well as the mounting interest repayments, many of these cards have extra hidden charges.

The Evening News reports today that M&S sales assistants in Norwich are now expected to push store cards (16.9% APR) onto customers, and is now part of their job description. The employees at M&S don't all seem thrilled with this role, and that some feel pressurised into persuading customers to take on more debts. Some are rebelling.

Ominously, the spokesperson for M&S says in the article: "If they continue not to use the right till procedures then eventually it could lead to somebody being dismissed" - but adds that it might be unlikely to get this far.

Household debt in the UK is now over £1 trillion and is spiralling out of control. M&S seems only too keen to keep us spinning.

If you feel you're being pressurised into taking out a card - don't take it out on the till operator, but instead write to the store manager of M&S to complain about their company policy at:

The Store Manager

Marks and Spencer

Rampant Horse Street

Norwich

Norfolk

NR2 1QR

And let me know how you get on!