left in debt by my ex

My ex has managed to spend £8000 on my credit cards. Admittedly I have been very gullible and fallen for many lies and guilt trips. I work full time to keep a roof over my head and pay my own bills, but I scrape by as it is. I have had to use all my savings to pay what I can but now I've got nothing left.

Please help me pay off these credit cards. The sooner I have paid them back the sooner I can get him out of my life!

If you'd like to know more please feel free to continue reading.....

My ex broke up with me a few years ago, however we stayed friends.

A few months ago he came to me and asked to borrow £1500 from me to help him buy a car, I agreed to lend him the money using my credit card as long as he paid me back quickly. He was going through a bad time and I felt sorry for him.

A few days after purchasing the car (privately) the engine blew up. He begged me to help him buy a new engine and told me he wouldn't be able to sell it for much and without a car he would not be able to get to work. He told me this was a problem to me as without a job he would not be able to pay me back. So I agreed to help buy a new engine. The car began to need more and more work, I lent him my card to get a few bits and over a few days he used the card to buy modified car parts, fast food, and an Xbox. I found out and he promised again to pay me money.

He then lost his job. He had other bills to pay and couldn't pay me the money he owed so I began to use my life savings to pay what I could each month. He however, was still able to buy himself nice things.

Soon enough a problem sprung up with his car insurance, meaning he needed to borrow more money to pay a new deposit, as without insurance he would not get a new job and again I would not get my money back. I felt there was no other option but to use my cards again.

In total the credit cards now stand at £8000.

2 months passed and he finally got a new job! However it's a commission based job, I agreed that he could give me minimum money needed to make a credit card payment as his firsts month wage would be low. He gave me the money and then a few days later bragged to me about spending over £1000 on a shopping spree.

He has just been paid for this month and he has told me there is a more bills he's trying to catch up on from when he had no job, and thus can't give me money yet again.

I have no doubts now he has the money he just won't give it to me.

I have asked him to sell the car and give me the money even tho it'll be less than the card amount. But he has said that even if he could pay the money off in one go he would not.

I have tried asking nicely for money, and I have tried demanding it. He responds either by ignoring me, yelling at me, or giving me more promises (which he won't keep)

He tries to turn things on me by saying all I care about is money, and that I don't understand what stress he himself is going through. He has said that he thinks the only reason I speak to him is because he owes me money so he doesn't want to pay the cards off quickly as he thinks I will stop speaking to him after.

I walk on eggshells all the time with him, and force myself to speak to him, as I worry if I don't stay on his good side he won't give me any money.

I have gone to citizens advice but they have told me the only option is to take him to court, and even then I will only get minimum payments a month.

I really need any help I can get to get his guy out of my life for good!

Thank you for any help you can give me