Britain's biggest family is about to get even BIGGER as the Radfords are expecting a THIRD grandchild to go with their 17 children...and they do it all without state handouts

• Sophie Radford, one of 17, is expecting her third child on New Year's Day after marrying husband Joe this month
• Sue and Noel Radford welcomed youngest daughter Hallie in June after losing their 17th child, Alfie, last year
• Family need 18 pints of milk and do 12 washing loads every day but their lifestyle is supported by bakery business

The Radford family (pictured) is expanding as second-eldest Sophie (centre with her new husband Joe) is pregnant with her third child

Britain's biggest family is expanding even further as parents of 17 Noel and Sue Radford are now expecting another grandchild, it was revealed today.

Their second-eldest Sophie, 21, is pregnant with her third child but says: 'He will definitely be our last - although I can't say the same about mum and dad'.

The Radfords are not just famous for their huge family, they are much-celebrated because they refuse to rely on state benefits and instead support themselves by running a successful bakery.

Sophie, who married husband Joe, 22, earlier this month, has taken on that work ethic and helps out in the family business.

Expanding family: Sophie Radford with her mother Sue, who have in the past been pregnant at the same time (file picture). Sophie (right on her wedding day earlier this month) is now expecting her third child, adding to her parents' 17 children

Happy family: Sue holding the latest addition Hallie last month, and her other children include Chris, 26, Sophie, 21, Chloe, 19, Jack, 17, Daniel, 15, Luke, 14, Millie, 13, Katie, 12, James, 11, Ellie, nine, Aimee, eight, Josh, seven, Max, six, ­Tillie, four, Oscar, three and two-year-old Caspar

Describing her excitement at being a mother again she told The Sun: 'Mum always jokes that I’m not going to stop at three. She thinks I will have eight, but that’s definitely not going to happen.

'When we told her about baby number three she was delighted, she's always happy when a new baby is coming along. She said, "I bet this one's a boy," and she was right.'

Mr and Mrs Radford welcomed their latest baby in June — a 7lb 15oz girl called Hallie - their 17th child.

Hallie's arrival is particularly poignant. It comes just 11 months after the devastating end of their 17th pregnancy — Alfie was stillborn at 21 weeks old.  

The couple have dedicated themselves to bringing up Chris, 26, Sophie, 21, Chloe, 19, Jack, 17, Daniel, 15, Luke, 14, Millie, 13, Katie, 12, James, 11, Ellie, nine, Aimee, eight, Josh, seven, Max, six, Tillie, four, Oscar, three and two-year-old Caspar, and now young Hallie.

The couple believe that they spend around £30,000 a year of their own money bringing up their children — that includes birthdays with a budget of £100 per child and Christmas at £100 to £250 per child. They also have a holiday abroad each year

    Sue got pregnant with their eldest son Chris when she was just 13, with her childhood sweetheart Noel.

They have never looked back and very few years have gone by when she hasn't been expecting. 

The couple say they originally planned on having three children, but they loved the experience so much that they simply kept going.

But at the heart of this is a desire to bring up children in a family not bankrolled by the state.

Speaking from their ten-bedroom home in Morecambe, Lancashire, Mrs Radford told the Mail in June: 'It's important that our children see us working. When they're old enough, they go out to work themselves.

'Big families will always be tarred with the same brush. People will say "They must be on benefits", but there are lots of very hard-working large families who support themselves.'

Work ethic: The Radfords, pictured on holiday, may have a huge family, but they are all supported by the bakery business they run

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After an early start in the bakery, Noel Radford returns home every day at 7.45am to sort out the children and get them to nursery at school.

All their uniforms are washed and laid out the night before. 

Sue said: 'Breakfast is staggered into two shifts. Each day we'll get through two boxes of cereal and 18 pints of milk.'

Six of the children are at the same primary school ten minutes away and five are at secondary school. Noel drives them in a minibus which, as it carries more than nine passengers, is entitled to use bus lanes.

Meanwhile, the three youngest, Oscar, Caspar and Hallie, remain at home with Sue, though Oscar goes to nursery in the afternoons. 

The family do between six and 12 loads of washing a day, get through 30 bottles of washing liquid every month and use four toilet rolls a day.

Incredibly they manage to feed the family on £250 a week, feeding them all pasta or a large stew using deals with their local butcher and greengrocer.

Bathtime at home begins around 6pm and while the younger ones will be bathed and in bed by about 7pm, the older ones stay up until 9pm. Mr and Mrs Radford say they are in bed by 10pm.