Woman ordered to pay £70,000 after thinking her kids had taken shells from beach

A woman was given a nasty surprise when she took her family for a fun beach day out.

The American woman was simply taking her kids to the sunny Pismo Beach in California, but was slapped with a hefty $88,000 (£69,000) fine after they violated certain regulations which they had no clue existed.

The regulations were in place for good reason, with authorities later getting involved to double down.

Charlotte Russ was left completely astonished at the punishment, thinking that her kids were simply enjoying themselves in the sun, but she was very wrong.

Charlotte and her kids had no idea they were breaching regulations. (ABC7)

The mother claimed her kids 'thought they were collecting seashells' when speaking to ABC7, but it turns out that they were picking something different up - something a lot more protected by the state.

"Right before we went, that’s when I opened it and that’s when I saw the amount," she said.

Lt Matthew Gil, who works for the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife spoke to the news outlet too, explaining the size of Charlotte's error.

It turns out her children hadn't been collecting seashells at all, they were actually picking up clams to take home.

Gil explained that regulations around 'clamming' exist to protect the species:

"We have these regulations is because we have to let them get to four-and-a-half inches so they can spawn, so they can have offspring every year, and they have juvenile clams."

Charlotte admitted that the fine made her 'sad and depressed' and ruined their trip, but luckily she managed to get the fine lowered to $500 (£390) after taking the case to a San Luis Obispo County judge in court.

Following the victory, she celebrated by getting a shellfish tattoo with the number 72 to remember the incident and the fact her children were surprisingly good 'clammers'.

The kids managed to collect 72 clams. (AMC7)

Charlotte said the trip was 'unforgettable', yet also admitted that there were signs warning against clamming at Pismo Beach. Though she did say there should have been more so her children would have noticed.

A total of 58 citations were issued in San Luis Obispo in 2023 alone for clamming violations, with Charlotte urging other visitors to be cautious when visiting the beach and being aware of the regulations in place.

Lt. Gil further explained that Pismo clams have both shells intact together, meaning that they are alive and therefore shouldn't be touched.