Three library books have been returned...20 years late!

The late return of a library book or two is often quickly forgiven, with people usually giving them back within days or perhaps weeks of the due date.

But librarians at the University of Oxford's Lady Margaret Hall got quite the shock after three books were returned by a former student after 20 years.

The previous Oxford student was very apologetic about the incredibly late return of the books.

The library posted the books and the note on social media

They wrote the library a note explaining they had stumbled across them after sorting through some boxes and had no idea they had accidentally held onto the books all these years.

'Please forgive me!' the final line of the note read.

The library took to social media to post about the super late return and despite the student's mistake, there don't appear to be any hard feelings.

'Thanks to the sender for getting them back home in the end - all is forgiven!' the library wrote on an Instagram post along with a picture of the three books and the note.