AN eight-year-old girl has given up her library ticket after she was charged for not returning tapes - despite children's fines being scrapped last year.

Last week, Samantha Palmer received a letter from Darlington library demanding £8.64 for two overdue tapes she had borrowed 15 months ago.

Samantha's mum, Jillian Bowes, has paid the fine but is angry that her daughter's name was on the official letter sent to her father's home.

Miss Bowes also feels she was misled after the council announced last November that children's fines would be abolished to encourage more youngsters to use the service.

She said: "Samantha will definitely not be using the library again.

"I admit that she had the tapes and we owed the money but the council should not be sending letters to an eight-year-old.

"As soon as we found the tapes Samantha returned them. What happened to encouraging youngsters to use the library?

"The claim they sent us letters but we never got them. As soon as we heard about the fine we paid it."

Although the letter mentioned Samantha's parents or guardian, her name was at the top of the address.

A council spokeswoman explained that although the fine system for children was scrapped last year, it was not retrospective

She said: "The tapes were borrowed more than 15 months ago and when the fines system was scrapped, those outstanding were not forgotten.

"It was not an amnesty.

"The address on the envelope was for Samantha Palmer, parent or guardian, so it was not sent to the girl herself."

Miss Bowes claims it was not made clear that Samantha's fine would continue after the system was scrapped.

She said: "We had never had problems with the library before, we had no idea the fine was outstanding."