Someone still owes almost £400

There’s nothing like the panic of finding a lost library book you thought you’d safely returned weeks ago.

But new statistics show this happens more at UCL than anywhere else, with UCL’s library topping the list of the biggest library-fine earners.

In the 2013/14 academic year, UCL cashed in almost £205,000 from library charges.

The next highest earners were Leeds (£164,870 in the academic year), Nottingham (£154,098), Bristol (£125,800) and Birmingham (£115,389).

Unpaid library fines can prevent you from graduating, and the Freedom of Information request also revealed one reckless grad has an invoice of £478 for unreturned books.

The student owing the third highest fine on record is a student still studying at UCL, who currently owes nearly £400.

The highest charges recorded in the UCL library were £580 in 2014.

The sought-after title was Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology by H.P. Rang et al. In the previous year, this book brought UCL a hefty £459 in library fines, making it one of the biggest money-generators in UCL’s library.

English fresher Calvin Law was not empathetic. He said: “Books can be renewed at any point if you need them longer, so there’s really no excuse.”

Politically-minded Lydia Dinsmore, Biochemistry undergraduate, added: “Uni is already too expensive, free books for all.”