Posted on 03/30/2010 3:41:30 PM PDT by JoeProBono
SALE, England, - A 66-year-old British woman was fined and ordered to wear an ankle monitor as punishment for selling a goldfish to a 14-year-old.
Joan Higgins, 66, owner of Majors Pet Shop in Sale, England, was fined $1,506, ordered to wear an ankle monitor and given a seven-week curfew as punishment for selling a goldfish to a 14-year-old boy sent into the store by police on a test buy, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.
A 2006 law prohibits the sale of live fish to children under the age of 16.
Higgins' son, Mark, 47, was fined $1,300 and ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.
"I think it's a farce. What gets me so cross is that they put my mum on a tag -- she's nearly 70, for goodness sake," Mark Higgins said. "She's a great grandma so she won't be able to babysit a new born baby. You would think they have better things to do with their time and money."
"The council sent the 14-year-old into us. It is hard to tell how old a lad is these days. He looked much older than 14," he said.

It tasted like chicken, anyhow.
She shouldn't be asked to! The lady's granddaughter should take care of her own baby, for heaven's sake.
Yes, now Britain is safer.
WTF/Ridiculous.
Smells fishy to me.

Sounds like the makings of a Monty Python sketch.
I agree - need to check this one out on Snopes...
It’s OK to kill the under age baby of a minor in abortion
I guess raiding granny’s pet store takes a higher priority than stopping yobs from stealing from law abiding citizens.
ERIC!?!?!
England is dead.
Not only that, these stories are becoming so common we should have an “England is dead” ping list.
Too bad this wasn't in No Sale, England.
What a ridiculous law, I had fish from 11-15 or so and took better care of them than most adults are capable of.
Holmes: “Well, LaStrade, have you and The Yard finally cracked the Great Goldfish Caper? Arrested a little old lady, now, have you? Guess you won’t be needing Dr. Watson nor myself. Good show! Well done!”
Is this for real? What is the purpose of a law prohibiting the sale of goldfish to 14 and under?

*facepalm*
>”What is the purpose of a law prohibiting the sale of goldfish to 14 and under?”
Minors tend to swallow goldfish without thinking.
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