Mum of UK's biggest family defended illegal holidays as £52,000 Disney World trip lands them in court
Sue Radford has spoken out in defence of her family's decision to go on holiday during term time – as she and husband Noel were slapped with a court fine.
Back in May, the Radford family, known for their TV series 22 Kids and Counting, celebrated Sue's 50th birthday in style, jetting out from Morecambe to Florida for a trip to Disney World.
Although daughter Chloe, 29, skipped the holiday due to the imminent birth of her child, the trip wasn't a cheap one for the Radfords, with the couple forking out a whopping £52,000 for themselves, their children and several grandkids.
To put that into perspective, the average salary in the UK is £37,430, and raising a family this big certainly isn't cheap.
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Unfortunately for the Radfords, the total cost of the holiday didn't end there either, as the couple were also fined for taking their children out of school during term time.
As many parents will be aware, it's no longer legal for children to go on holiday during term time, with the family being fined a total of £756 after being found guilty of failing to ensure regular attendance for four of their children between 24 March and 1 May 2025.
Although you'd assume forking out an additional few hundred pounds may not seem like the biggest punishment for a family who are able to fork out tens of thousands on a holiday.
While the family haven't commented on the outcome of their court case, the family matriarch has previously addressed the rising cost of taking a family on vacation.
Specifically, with the steep price hikes which occur during school holidays.
Taking to Instagram back in May, the 50-year-old shared a screenshot of flight prices from the UK to Orlando, which were £196 per person at the time.
However, these prices can steeply rise with demand during the summer and Christmas holidays.
Sharing her thoughts on the situation, Sue explained that she understood why some parents would rather risk receiving a fine, writing: "Anyone looking at flights to Florida this month these are crazy low. Then they wonder why parents take kids out of school."
According to current guidelines, holidays are not considered an 'exceptional circumstance', meaning that local councils can enforce educational orders and fines for children missing school 'without a good reason'.
Regarding the fines, a spokesman for Lancashire County Council 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 authorise 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."
They added: "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 unauthorised absences and our aim is to ensure that children and young people attend school and receive a good education."
LADbible Group previously contacted the Radford family for comment.
Brenna Cooper