Britain’s biggest family, the Radfords, have spoken out after facing legal consequences over their $70,000 Disney vacation.
Sue and Noel Radford, who share 22 children and 11 grandchildren, traveled to the Orlando theme park to celebrate Sue’s 50th birthday.
However, their bill ended up growing even larger when the couple was fined for pulling four of their younger children out of school.
Highlights
- The Radfords, Britain's biggest family with 22 children, faced over $1,000 in fines for taking 4 kids out of school during a Disney trip.
- Sue and Noel Radford expressed concerns over a possible breach of their children’s school data.
- A Lancashire council spokesperson stressed school attendance is a "key priority" and rules regarding unauthorized absences are clear.
Image credits: Channel 5
At Preston Magistrates Court, the stars of the reality show 22 Kids and Counting were recently found guilty of failing to ensure regular school attendance for the four children between March 24 and May 1.
Each parent was reportedly fined $88 per child and had to pay $160 in court costs, leaving them with a total bill of $1,024, adding to the already expensive holiday.
The parents shared photos from their trip on Instagram, including one of the family posing with Donald Duck and another of Sue posing in Minnie Mouse ears.
Image credits: theradfordfamily
After being found guilty of taking their kids out of school, Sue and Noel issued a statement on Instagram expressing concerns about a potential data breach involving their children’s school records.
"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 form who doesn't live in our house, along with emails sent to the school and registration details,” the post read. “We also had another child's details and emails on our form. Now, please tell me if this is ok or not?"
Sue and Noel Radford, parents of 22 children and 11 grandchildren, traveled to Orlando to celebrate Sue’s 50th birthday
Image credits: theradfordfamily
One of their daughters, Chloe, did not join them on the trip as she was due to give birth to her second child.
The celebration trip hit a snag early on when 24-year-old Millie Radford and her two children missed their flight to the US due to expired ESTA certificates.
Noel stayed behind with his daughter and grandchildren while they reapplied before flying out the following day, according to Unilad.
Image credits: theradfordfamily
“Evidence shows that attainment is linked to attendance, so supporting our schools with this issue is important,” they continued.
They also noted that the laws on school attendance are "very clear” and outline the legitimate reasons why students may be absent from school for a period of time.
“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."
In a statement, they raised concerns about a possible breach of their children's school data
Image credits: theradfordfamily
Taking children out of school without a legitimate reason can be punished in four ways.
These include a parenting order requiring parents to attend parenting classes; an education supervision order, where a supervisor is appointed to ensure the child receives an education; a school attendance order, under which parents may face prosecution if they fail to provide evidence that their child has been registered at school or is being educated at home; or a fine.
Image credits: theradfordfamily
Sue became pregnant with her first child at age 13, while Noel was 17.
Noel and Sue paid for flights, accommodation, and park passes for nearly all their children and grandchildren
Image credits: theradfordfamily
Image credits: theradfordfamily
"We were young and we were daft. But we wanted to continue as a couple,” the father of 22 wrote in his family’s book, The Radfords: Making Life Count, responding to criticism about the ages at which they had their first child.
“We were both kids, it was not as if I was 10 or 15 years older than Sue,” Noel added.
Sue turned 50 on March 22, 2025, insisting she was really “49 plus one.”
Sue became pregnant with her first child at 13, while Noel was 17
At the beginning of the year, the family matriarch revealed that she wanted a “whole year of celebrations” to mark entering her fifth decade.
Just weeks after returning from the Disney World trip, the family returned to Florida for another vacation in June. The trip reportedly marked their eighth visit to the US in three years.
The British travel lovers have also explored various European countries in the $53,000 motorhome they purchased in 2022. The Radfords have also jetted off to the Maldives and Dubai.
Public reactions were mixed, with some supporting the family and others saying the fines were justified
