Dudley pensioner returns book 58 years late racking up £42k in fees

David Hickman was just 17 when he borrowed ‘The Law for Motorists’ in 1964 to swot up after being involved in a car accident.

He was waving to a group of teens from Dudley High School for Girls when he crashed into a car belonging to town mayor Cllr W.G.K Griffiths.

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Consequently, David was arrested and convicted of driving without due care or attention.

Dudley Magistrates fined him £7 – around £175 in today’s money – and ordered him to cough up a further £3 in lawyers’ fees.

After losing the case, David forgot to return the library book and it ended up being put in the back of a drawer.

Dudley librarian Sharon Whitehouse./SWNS. (Image: SWNS.)

In 1970 David, a father-of-one, moved from Dudley to Battersea, in south London, and he took the book with him.

Earlier this month, the 76-year-old finally drove back to his hometown to "face the music" and returned the book in person.

With overdue fines of 20p a day, librarians could have charged David £42,340 for the book but they waived the fees after hearing his amusing story.

David Hickman was just 17 when he borrowed ‘The Law for Motorists’. /SWNS. (Image: SWNS.)

David, a retired hotelier said: “My car was a 1947 Ford Popular and, in those days, if you had ‘wheels’, you were top of the food-chain when it came to getting the attention of girls.

"I'd been waving to the girls coming from the school and my car drifted into the middle of the road. I was shocked to see the mayor."

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Dudley librarian Sharon Whitehouse said: “I’m thrilled to have the book returned, complete with its pre-computerisation cardboard tickets, and to hear the story behind it.

“We’re hoping to donate it to The Black Country Museum.”