Library book returned after 45 years

An anonymous person has returned a library book after 45 years.

Staff at the Dinnington library in Sheffield were astonished when they received the tome in the post, Reuters reports.

The volume, a paperback first edition copy of Quartermass And The Pit by Nigel Kneale, had been borrowed on September 24, 1965.

Principal library assistant Alison Lawrie said: "I thought at first it was just a normal return until I saw the colour of the pages - they were very brown around the edges. It's true that some people like to take their time with a good book, but 45 years is an incredible amount of time."

Lawrie explained that the borrower is unknown because the library's records do not go back that far. However, she urged them to get in touch and added that the library's fines are capped at £6.

"The person who posted it back to us would not be in any 'trouble' whatsoever," she said. "If the person who returned the book wants to come forward, we'd love to know the story behind it."