The Radford family, known for having 22 children, recently spoke out after facing legal issues over a $70,000 Disney vacation.
The Radfords, famously recognized as the largest family in the UK, were taken aback when they were fined for removing four of their younger children from school to celebrate Sue Radford’s 50th birthday with a grand vacation.
Sue and Noel Radford traveled to the United States earlier this year for a major family trip to Disney World. The vacation was lavish, costing an estimated $70,000, which included flights, accommodations, and park tickets for nearly all of their 22 children and most of their 11 grandchildren.
However, the holiday did not conclude as smoothly as the Radfords hoped. Stars of the Channel 5 series 22 Kids and Counting, the couple was later summoned to court and convicted of not ensuring regular school attendance from March 24 to May 1.
Both parents were fined $88 per child, plus $160 in court expenses, culminating in a $1,024 charge in addition to the already expensive trip. The cost rose further when 24-year-old Millie Radford and her two children missed the flight due to expired ESTA certificates.
Noel stayed back with Millie and her family as they reapplied for their documents, flying out the next day. Only Chloe Radford and her daughter Mia missed the family’s unique trip to Florida, as Chloe welcomed her second child.
After their court conviction for withdrawing their children from school, Sue and Noel—who sustain their large family through their pie business—voiced their frustrations with an assertive Instagram statement.
It stated: “Will also be going into details of the children’s secondary school breaching data protection from sharing our children’s details on someone else’s fine form who doesn’t live in our house along with emails sent to the school and registration details we also had another child’s details and emails on our form now please tell me if this is ok or not?”
This indicates that legal issues may continue for the Radfords, who became entangled in the situation after posting multiple photos from their Disney adventure, including one with Donald Duck.
Unaware at the time, legal proceedings were already underway.
A representative from Lancashire County Council defended pursuing the matter, underscoring the significance of regular school attendance for children.
“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,” they stated.
“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.”