Breagh Hannan, from the village of Rowardennan, on the shores of Loch Lomond in Stirlingshire, borrowed the book 12 weeks ago when a mobile library visited her primary school.

She had forgotten all about the book until this week when, without warning, a letter arrived from Stirling Council demanding that the family return the book or face legal action. Addressed to Breagh and her mother Gillian, it read: “This is your final notice to return the items listed below: Sindy Annual 2002. If the matter is not resolved within the next week the information will be passed to the sheriff’s officer [bailiff] for action.”

Mrs Hannan, 38, said: “When I got the letter I was really angry. I couldn’t believe they were threatening us like this. Breagh saw me get angry and said, ‘Sorry, Mummy, but I don’t know where the book is’.

“If I had a warning letter to let me know the book was late I could have done something about it, but I’ve had nothing from them until this.

“It’s a piece of nonsense to be taking that level of action against a six-year-old girl who has not returned a book. It is not teaching the children the right thing about reading and going to the library.”

Mrs Hannan’s demand for an apology was met yesterday as Stirling Council admitted that it should not have issued the letter. Steve Dolman, the council’s service development librarian, said: ”Normally such letters are checked and are not usually sent without a phone call or two previous letters. This one must have slipped through, for which we apologise.”

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