>SHUTTING UP SHOP FOR THE 'METRIC MARTYRS' > > A SUNDERLAND fishmonger will tomorrow sat >shut up shop at his > busy market stall to to dedicate more of his >time to the fight to > save pounds and ounces. > > > Neil Herron, who stood as an independent >candidate in the > General Election and polled 1,518 votes, is >giving up his fish stall > at the city's Park Lane Market. > He said he has taken the decision to quit >the stall he has run for > 17 years to devote more of his time to the >so-called "Metric > Martyrs" battle. > Mr Herron, 38, a married father-of-two, has >sold his business for a > nominal sum to another market trader, Thomas >Girwood. > He has been heavily involved in supporting >the case of Stephen > Thoburn, who was prosecuted by Sunderland >Council for selling > fruit and veg in imperial weights. > Mr Thoburn, who used scales which did not >comply with the rules > for weighing in metric measurements, is >appealing against his > conviction. > He has been joined by four other traders, >two in Cornwall and two > in London, who have either been prosecuted >for selling goods in > pounds and ounces or who face prosecution. > Mr Herron said the "Metric Martyrs" fighting >fund to pay the legal > costs of the appeals against convictions now >stands at �200,000, > with �5,000 already spent. > But he and his supporters aim to raise >�1million to pay the legal > fees of the five traders involved in the >case. > Mr Herron said: "I will be pulling my >shutters down on the fish > stall for the last time on Saturday night. > "I have decided to close the stall because I >need to devote more > of my time to the Metric Martyrs and raising >cash for their > defence. > "I know we are right and I have devoted a >lot of my time to this. I > have been bitten by something which we must >carry on with." > Mr Herron said he will still be running his >fruit and vegetable stall > and a discount food stall. > He says he still intends standing as a >candidate for city mayor, if > Sunderland people decide they would like an >elected mayor in the > referendum planned for October. -- UK Metrication Association: http://www.metric.org.uk/
