Scottish thieves prefer Jacqueline Wilson’ books to JK Rowling’s

LONDON - Jacqueline Wilson has pipped Harry Potter author JK Rowling to become the writer whose books are most stolen from libraries in Scotland.

From the top spot Edinburgh-based Rowling’s Harry Potter books have slipped to sixth in the most-stolen list.

It has emerged that robbers have been taking work by the likes of children’s author Wilson, American thriller writer James Patterson and romance novelist Nora Roberts.

More books were unreturned at Scottish Borders Council libraries than anywhere else last year, reports The Scotsman.

According to the Borders Council’s records manager Teresa Maley, a new security tagging system has been introduced.

She said: “All books are bar-coded so can be traced in the Library Management System.

“Proactive action is taken to try to recover books and we still ask for proof of identity and address when people join the library. If borrowers do not respond to library overdue notices, long overdue items are followed up using a materials recovery service.”

Most Stolen

1. Jacqueline Wilson

2. SQA school books

3. James Patterson

4. Francesca Simon

5. Nora Roberts

6. JK Rowling

7. Enid Blyton

8. Julia Donaldson

9. Matt Groening

10. Jodi Picoult

11. Stephen King

12. Stephenie Meyer

13. Irvine Welsh

14. Ian Rankin

15. Roald Dahl. (ANI)