New figures revealed by professional services firm KPMG show people petitioning for their own bankruptcy increased from 166 cases in the three months at the end of 2007 to 200 cases in the first quarter of 2008.
The Citizens Advice Bureau in North
ampton has said it was not surprised by the figures, citing a spate of people walking in and demanding to be told how to go bankrupt.
Martin Lord, manager of the CAB in St Giles Street, said: "They have literally been coming in and saying: 'I want to go bankrupt, how do I do it?'
"They don't want to listen to the implications, they just want to go ahead and do it.
"The figures don't surprise me – people don't want to think about it seriously and bankruptcy isn't the bogeyman it used to be."
However, Mr Lord said harmful implications of being bankrupt ranged from having their bank account frozen to losing their home and urged people to consider their actions.
Mr Lord said one of the chief reasons people in Northampton want to petition for their own bankruptcy was that other people they knew had done it to get out of debt.
The credit crunch is also making bankrupty an increasingly attractive option.
The amount in people's wallets to allow them to make an offer to creditors has been squeezed by recent price rises in fuel and food and rates.
Another popular solution would have been to consolidate debts and so pay only one creditor instead of several.
But the credit crunch means this is now difficult to do as banks are currently reluctant to lend to each other.
Nationally the three months ending March 31 saw an increase of 11 per cent in the number of people making themselves bankrupt in England and Wales compared to the previous quarter.
Mark Sands, head of personal insolvency for KPMG in the East of England, said: "Even with base rates starting to fall, consumers are seeing the cost of their mortgages increase, fuel costs continue to go up and now food prices are rising in a manner not seen for years.
"Consumers are faced with a barrage of bad news with no sign of a respite.
"The message to everyone in difficulty is to take advice on all the options and then to act on that advice."
To contact Northampton Citizens Advice Bureau call 0844 8552122 or visit www.northamptoncab.org.uk
The full article contains 435 words and appears in Northampton Chron & Echo newspaper.
