Whether they get lost under a bed, forgotten on a bus or just outright stolen, library books in Merton tend to go missing at a staggering rate.

But now the books that the borough doesn't want to give back have been revealed.

Through a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Wimbledon Times, it was found that since the start of 2014, a little more than 18,500 books had either been returned back to the library late, or not returned at all.

Of those thousands upon thousands, the ten books whose name's popped up most frequently on the 'unreturned' list were revealed.

Eileen Browne's 1994 book titled 'Handa's Surprise' was one the books featured on the list and she was happy to be there.

"How exciting and surprising to feature in this top ten," she told the Wimbledon Times.

"It’s wonderful to know that this is a popular read in Merton.

"If it fits into the ‘late-returner’ category, I’m flattered. It wouldn't fit into the ‘taking time to read’ category as Handa’s Surprise only has 101 words, so I’d guess that it’s being read over and over again."

When she found out some of the other names on the list, she was blown away.

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"I'm in illustrious company," she said.

"If it’s never returned to the library, then maybe it was lying forgotten under a bed; dropped in a puddle; covered in curry; chewed by a pet; torn by children fighting for possession - or loved so much that the reader couldn’t bear to part with it."

But she went on to say that no matter how much a book is adored, it is bes to give it back so others can enjoy.

"If you you love a library book so much that you want it for yourself, remember you can borrow children’s books over and over again," the author said.

"But you must return them every so often, so that others can enjoy them too.

"If you want your own copy to keep forever and can’t afford to buy a new one, you can always find a very cheap second-hand copy on line."

So which books accompanied Handa's Surprise? The full list is below, with one well-known author managing to crack the list four times.

  • Snail and the Whale - Julia Donaldson
  • Messiah (Vocal Score Set) (Ed Watkins Shaw) - George Frederick Handel
  • James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
  • Peace at Last - Jill Murphy
  • BFG - Roald Dahl
  • Enormous Crocodile - Roald Dahl
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
  • Handa's Surprise - Eileen Browne
  • Matilda - Roald Dahl
  • Mystical Songs, 5 (Vocal Score Set) - Ralph Vaughan Williams