Surrey library borrowers owe £700,000 in unpaid fines
Surrey County Council is owed more than £700,000 in unpaid library fines.
The Conservative-controlled local authority said the problem of outstanding fines was a "thorn in the side of librarians". The council is currently proposing to devolve the running of 11 libraries to the community to save money. Gillian Woods, a campaigner from the save Warlingham Library Group, said the council should introduce a more efficient reminding system. A council spokeswoman said: "The problem of unpaid library fines is a thorn in the side of librarians up and down the country. "Although the combined fines add up to a lot of money, each individual only owes a few pounds or pence."