CHARITIES are calling on the government to crack down on bailiffs who "flout the rules" leaving those in financial hardship stressed, anxious and steeping further into debt.

Bailiff firms are self-regulated but now debt charities Citizens Advice and StepChange want the government to set up an independent body to monitor the industry alongside a tougher set of rules.

Citizens Advice estimates households have a total of £19 billion of arrears on bills such as council tax and utilities.

The government introduced reforms on the industry in 2014 which were meant to protect people from unfair practices.

But new figures suggest that a third of the 2.2million people who have been contacted by a bailiff in the the past two years have experienced the debt collectors pushing the limits of the law, like forcing entry to a home or removing goods needed for work.

A YouGov poll of 5,786 people found that one in five were threatened with a break-in or witnessed unsympathetic treatment towards someone with a disability.

One in 10 had goods that were needed for work removed, such as tools or a vehicle, while six per cent claimed that bailiffs has forced entry into their home.

Citizens Advice also says that it is also concerned that bailiffs are failing to accept reasonable offers of payment when the debt is unable to be paid in full, after it dealt with nearly 17,000 cases last year.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: "The 2014 reforms were well intentioned but sadly have had little effect on improving the behaviour of some bailiffs.

"Faced with the evidence we’ve put in front of them, the Ministry of Justice has no other option but to establish an independent bailiff regulator."

Phil Andrew, StepChange Debt Charity Chief Executive, added: "The fact is that all the main debt advice charities are continuing to see too many cases where bailiffs are breaking the rules.

"This is completely unacceptable, especially as the people on the receiving end are often distressed, vulnerable and unempowered.

"Across the debt advice sector, we are united in the view that it’s now time for regulation to be more robust, and for the rules to be properly enforced.

"Even some bailiff firms seem to be realising that the days of informal regulation need to end."

In July, MPs on the Treasury Select Committee said government and local authorities were “worst in class” for debt collections.

Earlier this year, ministers began an inquiry into claims that debt collectors are still being overly aggressive.