Couple with 22 children taken to court over $70,000 Disney vacation
A family known for having the largest family in the UK has been taken to court after taking their children out of school to enjoy a lavish holiday to Disney World.
While going to Disney World is meant to be a magical experience, it might prove pretty difficult logistically and financially if you have a big family.
A British couple will know this all too well as they tried their hand at heading to Florida’s Disney World, only to get hit with a fine on top of their trip.
The couple, who are known as parents of Britain’s largest family as they have 22 children, took a bunch of them and their grandchildren to the famous theme park for the trip.
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Noel and Sue Radford certainly splashed out as the trip cost about $70,000 and was meant to celebrate Sue’s 50th birthday in April earlier this year.
This saw them fork out money for flights, accommodation, and park passes for their own children and their 11 grandchildren. However, the parents were taken to court and hit with a fine for taking some of their younger children out of school for the trip.
The couple, from Morecambe, Lancashire, were found guilty of failing to ensure regular school attendance for four of their children between March 24 and May 1, 2025.
They were each fined $88 per child, along with $160 court costs, adding $1,024 to the total Florida trip costs.
The family shared some snaps of the trip on Instagram, including a shot of the family posing with Donald Duck.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council defended the move to charge the family and spoke of the importance of having children in school.
They said: “Ensuring young people receive a good education and have a good start in life is one of our key priorities. Evidence shows that attainment is linked to attendance, so supporting our schools with this issue is important.
“The decision to authorize absence or not rests with the headteacher of the particular school and Penalty Notices are an enforcement option that are available to local authorities, if requested by schools. It is the court that determines whether a fine should be issued.
“The laws on attendance are very clear and there are some legitimate reasons why pupils can't always go to school.
“We always encourage schools to work closely with parents to reduce unauthorized absences and our aim is to ensure that children and young people attend school and receive a good education."
Gerrard Kaonga