A surge in potential bankrupts trying to put their assets out of the reach of their creditors has prompted a warning from The Insolvency Service.

“People struggling with debt who want to benefit from the debt relief arrangements offered by the insolvency regime must be prepared to declare all of their assets or face the penalty imposed on them. It is for the Official Receiver to decide which assets should be sold for the benefit of the creditors and which may be retained by the debtor,” said Les Cramp, Senior Official Receiver for The Insolvency Service.

The warning comes following an increase in the number of investigations into potential bankrupts who have tried to hide assets from the Official Receiver – there have already been 200 this year, compared with just 28 in 2008-09.

Bankrupts must disclose all assets, no matter how small, or they face a penalty which could include a custodial sentence, financial sanctions or having their period of bankruptcy restrictions increased by up to 15 years instead of the usual 12 months.

In March this year a £50,000 confiscation order was made when an investigation by the Official Receiver found a young woman had hidden properties. Following an investigation into her finances, she admitted she had failed to disclose that she owned two properties in Surrey and that she had obtained credit to the extent of £17,000 while bankrupt.