7:10pm Friday 3rd July 2009
By Samuel Underwood
It's a sad story being repeated up and down the country.
Young women, caught up in the glitz and glamour of celebrity fork out thousands of pounds wanting to emulate their heroes.
But when their credit cards are maxed-out, they are unable to pay the bills and their world comes crashing down around them.
Insolvency Service figures analysed by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, showed that 1,560 women under the age of 24 declared themselves bankrupt last year, compared with 1,250 men.
That figure means women make up 55% of all young bankrupts, up from 43.8% five years ago.
One woman who has suffered the consequences is Aimi Robinson.
The 34-year-old, from Cooden, near Bexhill, was bankrupted twice by the age of 29.
A self-confessed shopaholic, Aimi splashed out on shopping trips and beauty treatments and by the time she was 21 was £20,000 in debt and forced to declare herself bankrupt.
Determined to get herself back on her feet, she took a job as a lapdancer in 1999 and was soon raking in thousands of pounds from her new lucrative career.
She danced at the now defunct Stringfellow's in London and said she would make up to £20,000 a night from rich customers.
But with the high-flying lifestyle came party after party and Aimi said she needed to shop almost constantly to keep up appearances.
She splashed out £20,000 on a new car, £10,000 on breast implants and even £1,000 on a Louis Vuitton wardrobe for her poodle dog.
But when the lapdancing jobs dried up, her spending showed no signs of slowing and the debts quickly began to mount up again.
By June 2006, Aimi was £85,000 in the red but still spending.
She was left juggling 30 credit cards and store cards to pay off about £800 a week in interest payments alone and was soon forced to declare herself bankrupt again.
Now blacklisted, Aimi said the biggest problem was not being able to get a mortgage.
“She said: “My boyfriend Marc (CORR) and I want to buy a house but we can't because of my credit history.
“It's a nightmare, we have to rent and it's just pouring money down the drain.”
Although her prolific spending has caused long-term issues for Aimi she said she is rebuilding her life and is much more thrifty with her outgoings.
She said: “I don't buy extravagant things any more, I haggle for deals whenever I can and I shop around to save money.”
Her top tip to avoid bankruptcy is simple: “The biggest thing is not to get credit. If you want something then save up for it.”
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