On 31 January 2001, three Trading Standards Officers raided a Camelford shop to remove price labels in lb/oz. No warrant was produced. This is the currently the subject of a formal complaint to the Chief Executive of Cornwall County Council under the Cornwall County Council Complaints Procedure.

The following day, 1st February, Cornwall County Council (CCC) wrote two letters alleging the trader of two offences under paragraph 5 of the schedule to the Prices Act 1974. The trader has been asked to attend a formal tape-recorded interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, on February 26th, 2001.

Solicitor Tony Bennett, acting for the trader, has asked CCC, in preparation for the meeting, to specify how, in relation to the wording of paragraph 5 to the schedule to the Prices Act 1974, the trader is said to be committing a criminal offence.

Mr Bennett has asked why CCC is pursuing the trader (and others) when the results of the Thoburn case in Sunderland Magistrates Court and any subsequent appeal are still outstanding.

Further, Mr Bennett has asked CCC why it believes that it is an offence to sell goods by the pound under the 1974 Prices Act when, as shown by the Shrimpton Legal Opinion, the 1974 Prices Act has been superceded by the 1985 Weights and Measures Act. Mr Bennett has asked CCC to identify the paragraphs in Mr Shrimpton's opinion in which it is in disagreement.

This report shall be updated in due course.

Two Camelford traders, greengrocer Julian Harman and fishmonger John Dove, have received summons to appear at Bodmin Magistrate's Court on June 13th.

They are charged with five alleged offences - four relating to pricing and selling foods in pounds and ounces (in Mr Harman's case, pricing apples as 45p/lb), and one to obstructing trading standards offical Ms Sharon Foster (who led the raid described in the above report).

Source: Western Daily News, 18/5/01.

The precise alleged offences are as follows.

Julian Harman:
i) selling Granny Smith apples at 45/lb
ii) selling Brussels sprouts at 39p/lb
iii) weighing apples by the pound
iv) weighing sprouts by the pound
v) obstructing Ms Foster

John Dove:
i) selling mackerel at £1.54/lb
ii) selling pollack at £3.28/lb
iii) weighing mackerel by the pound
iv) weighing pollack by the pound
v) obstructing Ms Foster

John Dove and Julian Harman, supported by over fifty supporters outside the court, denied charges at Bodmin Magistrates Court on June 13th. The traders' counsel, Michael Shrimpton, said he would contest only one of five legal points, and allow the others to be decided at the Divisional Court of Appeal.

The case has been adjourned until August 17th.

Traders Dove and Harman attended court to be represented by barrister Michael Shrimpton.

Mr Shrimpton said that whatever the verdict the court returned, it would be reviewed at the court of appeal later in the year. By prior arrangement with the court, Mr Shrimpton asked that the magistrates convict in order to save time and costs.

The court of appeal, combining all Metric Martyr cases (Harman, Dove, Thoburn, Hunt and Collins) is set for November 19th-23rd, 2001.