A catalogue company threatened a disabled woman with bailiffs over a "debt" of less than £16 - which she had already paid.

But today the company admitted it had make a mistake.

Alma Bowers, 63, of Lidget Green, reckons she has paid out more money in phone calls during her four-month struggle with the company - Cheshire-based Cotton Traders - than the £15.98 it said she owed.

Mrs Bowers was reduced to tears when she received a letter earlier this week from Pennine Debt Recovery on behalf of Cotton Traders, which threatened her with further action.

Mrs Bowers said: "I have never owed anything to anybody in my life and something like this is very distressing.''

Mrs Bowers is confined to a wheelchair after losing a leg in an accident 20 years ago and now has to rely on shopping by catalogue. Her saga with Cotton Traders began in September when she ordered two towelling tops. When she discovered the tops had been lost in transit, she re-ordered the items. But her cheque and letter became separated and the company took the letter as a separate order, resulting in her receiving two sets of the same items.

Even after she had sent the extra items back she received a statement, charging her for them. Eventually she convinced the company of its mistake - which gave her a £5 gift voucher by way of apology. The company said it would clear her account and, to avoid further confusion, asked her to send a new cheque for £15.98 direct to their Leeds-based accountants, Club 24. This was banked at the beginning of December.

"The next communication I got was from the debt collectors saying I still owed the money," said Mrs Bowers.

Cotton Traders operations manager Gail Jones said: "I can understand how frustrating this has been for Mrs Bowers - it's been a catalogue of seemingly small things which have mounted up. We have now contacted Club 24 and asked them to cancel the debt.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.