THE borough’s libraries are owed a whopping £167,692 in fines.

The figure was revealed on the day that an amnesty was announced in an attempt to persuade people to return some of the 27,846 books, DVDs and CDs which are currently overdue.

On April 1, Redbridge Libraries will begin a trial where fines over £14 or books more than 36 days overdue will be followed up by a company called Unique Management Services – with an additional £10 fee added to any outstanding fine.

But before the new system comes into place residents will have the chance to return overdue items without having to pay fines on them.

The amnesty period will run from March 19 – March 25.

If an item has been lost, a borrower will still be responsible for paying for its replacement.

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