THIS week is National Consumer Week and it comes at a time when the threat of debt looms over many of us.

At Christmas the nation plunges into a shopping frenzy -- with or without ready money.

For those who have the cash, festive shopping can be a joy. For those who do not, they can be paying for Christmas long after the decorations have been taken down and returned to the loft. KAREN STEPHEN takes a look at how easy it is to slip into the abyss of Christmas debt.

Is credit much too easy to obtain?

THE vicious cycle of debt can be daunting yet people still plunge deeper and deeper into financial hell, especially in the countdown to Christmas.

However, does the fault lie solely with the consumer or is credit much too easy to obtain?

Only this week, a consumer expert in Bolton has slammed one local store after it gave a registered drug addict immediate credit through a store card. The sales assistant used the customer's benefit book as ID.

Now, according to Chauntelle Wilkinson, money advice supervisor at the Bolton branch of CAB, the girl is in a "mess financially".

Ms Wilkinson says: "Many shop and store assistants are on commission when promoting their store cards and they only need to get someone 'signed up' to get their money," she says.

"However, that doesn't help the customer who doesn't have the funds to pay for it.

"The girl in question can't work because of her drug habit and is on incapacity benefit although she is trying very hard to come off drugs.

"She went into a town centre shop to buy some clothes and was practically forced to open a store card by the sales assistant. When she explained she was on benefit she was told it was interest free credit.

"What she wasn't told was that only applied if the balance was paid within a month. She produced her benefit book to prove her financial situation and the assistant took that as ID for the card.

"I believe the stores are behaving irresponsibly -- their aim is simply to get a name on the card application with no thought of the consequences to the customer." On the other side of the coin, however, is the consumer who refuses to let lack of money spoil their Christmas celebrations.

It is the privileged few who have ready funds to spend on festive essentials such as food and presents, let alone the other luxuries like alcohol and decorations.

The majority of mere mortals have to rely on savings (if they are lucky) or, that old and trusted friend, Mr Flexible.

And that is when the credit card takes a hammering and, inevitably, the debts mount and the downward spiral of money problems begin.

According to the Trading Standards Institute, many people are still paying for last Christmas's spending spree as they fling themselves headfirst into this year's.

"People take out loans, use store credit cards or other means to 'buy now pay later'," says Liam Kelly, from Bolton's Trading Standards. "And that's how they get themselves into such a financial mess."

Matthew Wright from CAB agrees: "In Bolton, the average debt of each of our clients is £7,392. Yet, come Christmas, people will still continue to shop and worry about the consequences later.

"Many will take out more loans or apply for new credit and store cards. And so the vicious circle continues."

But with so much gorgeous stuff assaulting us, how can anyone possibly resist melting the plastic?

Even when the monthly salary has disappeared into the shop tills, many will turn to their flexible friend to get them through the Christmas spending spree.

According to one clinical psychologist, Christmas overspending is an attempt to make life perfect -- just like those snow-filled Christmas adverts we see every year.

It is a time you think you have to make everything perfectly right and, if that means borrowing money, so be it.

However, what people do not seem to realise is, if they use credit, they are actually buying the money to buy the object of their desire. Buying debt, if you like.

Matthew Wright says: "Last year, CAB received more than one million enquiries about debt.

"Consumer debt in the UK -- including mortgages -- now stands at over £700 billion. In Bolton alone the entire debt case is well over 18 million. A frightening figure." Offer that held special interest -- a big one A WOMAN contacted CAB because she was concerned that her daughter had been offered a cash advance on her storecard and did not understand the implications of accepting the offer.

This was a special offer available in the run-up to Christmas.

Customers received a letter enclosing a cheque made payable to them.

The letter explained that the cheque would help the customer meet the costs of Christmas and all the customer had to do was sign the cheque and pay it into their bank account.

Further information in the letter clarified that the cheque represented a cash advance on the storecard account which would attract a promotional rate of interest of 19 per cent until the following February.

At this point the interest on the remaining unpaid part of the cash advance would revert to the normal interest rate of 30 per cent. BOLTON FACTS In the year November 2000 to November 2001 the Bolton branch of CAB saw 2,312 people with debts and credit problems

The average creditors per client is seven

The average debt per creditor is £1,011

The average debt per client is £7,392

The entire debt case in Bolton is £18,496,000