5-year-old boy fined for missing birthday party

A 5-year-old is being asked by a friend's mother to pay a "no show" fee for missing her son's birthday party in December, according to British news reports.

Alex Nash's father, Derek Nash, told the BBC that his partner found the "Party No Show" invoice for £15.95 (about $24) in Alex's bookbag after school.

"It was a proper invoice with full official details and even her bank details on it," Nash told the BBC.

Alex accepted the invitation to attend the party held at the Plymouth Ski Slope and Snowboard Centre, but his parents realized later that he already had plans with his grandparents. The child ended up spending the day with them. His parents said they did not have contact information for Julie Lawrence, the mother of the birthday boy, and could not tell her the change of plans.

"All details were on the party invite. They had every detail needed to contact me," Lawrence said in a statement to The Guardian.

Alex's parents have been told they will go to small-claims court if they do not pay, according to the BBC. Nash said he told Lawrence that she will "not get a penny out of me."

"I can understand that she's upset about losing money. The money isn't the issue, it's the way she went about trying to get the money from me," he told the BBC.

USA TODAY Network reached out to the Plymouth Ski Slope and Snowboard Centre for comment. They could not provide details, but said it was a dispute between two sets of parents and that the company was not involved.

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