Contact the CAB and they should help your mate, and give him balanced advice

I can't see how it happens to people unless they live a life style they simply can not afford... Best advise your friend can get is to live within his means, I personally can't see how people can get in such a financial state.
I do not own a credit card and save to get what I want... I do not have any debt other than a sofa which was interest free credit and I ensur.ed I could afford the payments before signing for it.
At times in my life I have had more than one job and done over seventy hours a week to make ends meet.

Sorry I think declaring bankrupt is weak way out, if money is owed to someone who is a sole trader and works damn hard to better their lives people taking action like this can effect these people greatly.... nobody forced them to take out that loan, that credit card, that mortgage. They only have one person to blame.

Its amazing the amount of people declaring bankrupt that have 37 inch LCD TV's playstations etc

I would simply advise your mate to sell everything he owns including the car if he has one as walking does not cost money and spend as much time as possible working to pay his debts

But no credit or mortgages for six years can help people like this