Library users owe almost £10,000 in late fees and have failed to return nearly 4,000 items, according to latest figures.

Fines for unreturned books, DVDs and CDs from the district’s three libraries already equal just over £967 from the first two months in 2013.

Braintree Library is the worst for late fees, with £5,479 owed from 2012 and this year, and 2,225 items that have not been returned since being taken out last year.

For the same period Witham Library has £2,574 outstanding overdue charges and 1,171 missing items, while Halstead has £1,379 fines owed and 429 items overdue since 2012.