A BOLTON father was bemused to receive a refund from the Child Support Agency - for just 1p.

Peter Gibson, aged 54, of St Helens Road, Bolton, says he has had three CSA refunds so far, each one amounting to a penny.

Mr Gibson, who works for Liverpool City Council, says the CSA is wasting money, particularly as the agency announced this week that it was employing private debt collectors to recover the £3billion that it is owed.

He said: "It's ridiculous that when the CSA are in such trouble it's sending me cheques for a penny.

"It can't make financial sense to do that - it must cost so much more."

Mr Gibson has not cashed the first cheque and that appears to be the reason he was sent two more.

A CSA spokesman said if the original cheque had been cashed no others would have been sent out.

He said: "Our system will have rounded up the payment. But our payment system will not allow us to keep money that we are not entitled to. It is to safeguard the customer."