A TV soap is helping viewers to avoid making financial mistakes - thanks to Shellsuit Bob.

A TV soap is helping viewers to avoid making financial mistakes - thanks to Shellsuit Bob.

This week the River City character has been featured gambling, and ignoring final reminders and bills as his garage business hits the ropes.

And now the BBC show's production team is using his predicament to encourage people with money troubles to seek help.

Just like the support lines given out on shows such as EastEnders when a storyline deals with incidents of domestic abuse, the BBC is using River City to launch RaW - a Reading and Writing campaign which will include programmes highlighting the cash problems many people are facing.

During recent episodes, self-employed Bob has fallen into debt, which he has been hiding from friends and family.

He has been seen going to money lenders and gambling in the hope of solving the problem but now viewers will see him helped by a financially aware friend, Deek.

Stephen Purdon, who plays Shellsuit Bob, said: "Bob's problems are bound to strike a chord with some of River City's viewers.

"He's been putting off dealing with his bills which have, over time, become red letter demands.

"Luckily Deek is a lot more clued up when it comes to money and is able to offer him good advice."

Angela Roberts, of BBC Scotland's Learning Department said, "Financial problems are affecting most of us at the moment. We were keen to highlight the situation and offer as much advice as we can."

People across Glasgow are taking tighter control of their cash during the recession.

A survey by the Charities Aid Foundation has found that almost half of us find money "more important" than it was before the credit crunch.

Due to the crisis, loans are harder to get, savings and investments have suffered and rising unemployment also led to increasing concerns over personal income.

It is issues such as these, and solutions to such problems, that the series of episodes aims to address.