PLOUGH and Share Credit Union's Crediton volunteers are expanding their activities and moving premises in October.

To help them, they are recruiting an extra volunteer for an unusual and interesting role – dressing up as a shark to take part in street theatre activities in the town on the weekend of October 12.

Lead volunteer John Skrine said: "We are being loaned the shark suit – a lady shark called 'Glenda the Lender' – by the England Illegal Money Lending team, which works to raise awareness of loan sharks and to tackle the problem.

"We'll be using the shark outfit to draw attention to illegal lending, and also to tell people more about the Credit Union as an ethical way of saving and borrowing locally without recourse to commercial lenders of any kind."

The Credit Union volunteers include Peter Hamilton, of the Crediton Arts Centre, who has written a script and recruited some well-known local actors to perform a short street theatre piece in various places round the town.

"We have already had our first workshop session," said Peter. "We now need someone to come forward to play the shark. It won't be a speaking role, but will attract plenty of attention and should be a bit of a lark.

"We'll be popping up at the Community Market and in various places in town, including the main supermarkets, on Saturday, October 12," continued Peter, "and on Sunday (October 13), 'Glenda the Shark' will be hoping to find customers at places where I think it's fairly safe to say loan sharks have never been seen before."

The shark will be in Crediton to remind people that Plough and Share Credit Union has now had a service point in the town for more than a year.

People interested in auditioning to play the shark, and volunteering, should contact John on 01363 774412 or email: [email protected]">[email protected] . Street theatre workshops take place on Sunday mornings on September 22 and October 6.