"Her offence was to unwittingly sell a goldfish to a 14-year-old boy taking part in a trading standards 'sting'. At most, pet shop owner Joan Higgins, 66, expected a slap on the wrist for breaking new animal welfare laws which ban the sale of pets to under-16s. Instead, the great-grandmother was taken to court, fined £1,000, placed under curfew - and ordered to wear an electronic tag for two months. ... The prosecution of Mrs Higgins and her son Mark is estimated to have cost taxpayers £20,000 and has left her with a criminal record. Mark, 47, was also fined and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work in the community....They sent the 14-year-old schoolboy into the shop to carry out a test purchase and Mr Higgins sold him the goldfish without questioning his age or providing any information about the care of the fish. " - bob

Electronic tag? Yikes. - τorƍue

I often wonder if the people who enforce these laws feel any guilt. - Paul Buchheit

I think the sort of people who enforce laws like these actually feel it is their duty, as if they are actually protecting the people from something. - Gabe

Overkill much? - Spidra Webster

They never said what happened to the goldfish. Was is just a pawn in a heartless sting operation? Doesn't seem fair with it getting it's hopes up and all. - Kenton

One starts wondering, if moving to the UK is such a good idea, after all - Starepolsky smok

OH WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE FISH - Will Higgins™