Steve Thoburn
Steve Thoburn (1964-March 14, 2004) led a greengrocers' legal battle against having to convert to metric measurements.
Thoburn was prosecuted for violating the 1985 UK Weights and Measures Act. He was convicted of two offences under the Weights and Measures Act of using weighing equipment that was not stamped by a Weights and Measures Inspector. The stamps had been obliterated because the scales were not capable of weighing in the metric system and were no longer permitted for commercial use.
A Sunderland greengrocer, Thoburn had his scales seized in July 2000 by British trading standards officials because they were not approved for use.
He was selling bananas in pounds and refused to use kilograms. His refusal to use kilograms led to his conviction of violating the Weights and Measures Act and he was given a six-month discharge. He then created an organization called the Metric Martyrs with four other greengrocers and appealed to the House of Lords in a two-year battle that they ultimately lost.
Thoburn died on March 14, 2004 of heart failure.
9th May 2007 An announcement was made that the European Union has recommended that Imperial mesures be permitted alongside metric as it will harm trade with the U.S. It still has to be accepted by the British government. Ironically Mr Thoburn's scales used both systems, so, assuming that the UK does what it is told by the EU, he was prosecuted and convvicted of an offence that will soon cease to exist.
This situation has led many commentators to question if there was any need to pursue Mr. Thoburn with such aggression and spite, which many in Britain believe was a contributory factor in his untimely death.