Derek Nash and his partner, who live in Torpoint, Cornwall, have been charged £15.95 for failing to take their son Alex to a party at the Ski Slope and Snowboard Centre. They said he would attend. And Alex wanted to go. But they never showed up.

Mr Nash tells the Plymouth Herald that Alex had already agreed to see his grandparents: Party with mates at ski centre? Or grandparents? Tough choice.

 “She saw me and asked if Alex was coming to the party. At this time I agreed and said that Alex was looking forward to it. By this time we did not have a contact number, email or an address to let [the boy’s mother] know. So on the day of the party we asked Alex what he wanted to do; he chose to be with his grandparents.

Back at school:

“My partner looked out for [the friend’s mother] to apologise for Alex not showing up to the party, but didn’t see her. But on January 15 she looked in Alex’s school bag and found a brown envelope. It was an invoice for £15.95 for a child’s party no show fee. I asked Alex’s class teacher if [the child’s mother] had given anything to her. She said, ‘Yes, a brown envelope’. I then visited Alex’s school headteacher, who couldn’t apologise enough that one of the teachers had passed this on. She said she would remind all staff that this was a breach of protocol. I left the school and went to see [the birthday boy’s mother] as her address was on the invoice. When she answered the door I told her I had found the invoice in my son’s school bag and that I wasn’t happy about it. I told her I would not be paying her the money. I told her she should have spoken to me first and not put the invoice in my son’s school bag.”

The couple says the mother of Alex’s friend has threatened the couple with taking the case to the small claims court.

And then this:

Mr Nash’s partner, who doesn’t want to be named, has been in contact with the mum via Facebook hoping to resolve the situation. The mother of Alex’s friend was unavailable for comment.

So. They did have a way of contacting the party boy’s mother? And they didn’t send a note? And then they told the Press when confronted? And they refuse to pay?

Hey, Alex. Stay close to grandpa and grandma. You’re going to be seeing a lot of them at party time. And , parents, don’t bother with invites, just send a subpoena.