WHERE is Wally? That’s the question after it was revealed a book about the bespectacled character was one of seven missing from Oxfordshire’s libraries for more than six years.

Patient library chiefs are still waiting on the seven books, including Where’s Wally In Hollywood? and Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! by Dr Seuss, as well as a DVD and two CDs.

Oxfordshire County Council only records overdue items up to six years and a day and stopped counting for the 10 items when it got to six years and 17 days.

One library user faces a whopping £178.93 fine when – or if – eight books are returned and they cough up for another eight reported lost.

The cash-strapped authority is owed £17,210.85 on items not returned and £29,677.77 on returned items.

Spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: “Councils could in theory take readers with overdue items or unpaid fines to court, but in practice this doesn’t happen in Oxfordshire.

“It is thought that the cost of such action would be significantly higher than fine amounts or the cost of overdue items.”

Users get a reminder letter or email after 28 days, another one three weeks later and borrowing rights are suspended after 78 days until they are returned.

Those who owe £10 or more on their account can also no longer borrow items until it is paid off.

Adult fines are 20p a day for books to a maximum £9.20 and a maximum £10.50 for some DVDs and £6 for some music CDs.

Last year the council collected £189,703.35 in fines, down from £216,011.42 and £216,149.75 the previous years.

Mr Mabberley said closure of some branches to put in self-service equipment, resulting in longer loan periods, could have cut fines along with online and phone renewal.

Author Malcolm Graham, from Botley, urged the user who has had his Oxford Yesterday and Today history book for more than six years from Kidlington Library to return it.

He said: “Someone obviously really enjoys it I suppose. They should return it because it is stopping other people from having access to it.”

The council last year proposed cutting funding from 20 out of 43 branches to save cash. It later said it would fund 22 in full, ensure five will be “significantly” staffed and have 16 more reliant on volunteers.