London - A market trader was yesterday convicted of breaking weights and measures legislation by selling his fruit in pounds and ounces in the first prosecution of its kind in Britain.
Greengrocer Steven Thoburn (36), of Sunderland, now faces a maximum fine of £1,000 on each of the two offences and court costs estimated to run up to £60,000.
He was convicted of breaching the Weights and Measures Act 1985 in a hearing which District Judge Bruce Morgan said centred around the "most famous bunch of bananas in legal history".
The father-of-two denied the charges, which were brought after trading standards officers from Sunderland City Council raided his market stall in the Southwick area of the city on July 4th, 2000, and seized two sets of scales. Mr Thoburn was prosecuted for selling his produce in pounds and ounces. In his ruling, Mr Morgan told Sunderland Magistrates Court that he was aware that regardless of the verdict the case would be going to appeal.
A statement by Sunderland City Council after the judgment said its action had been vindicated. It said Mr Thoburn was not prosecuted for selling a pound of bananas but for using scales that could only weigh in imperial units rather than both metric and imperial.