UK campaigners have claimed victory after a 2009 deadline to scrap imperial measures was shelved.
The British Weights and Measures Association, the Metric Martyrs campaign group, and Conservative MEPs have been fighting for businesses to retain the right to use imperial measurements alongside their metric equivalent.
Their victory comes after the European Commission's Industry Commissioner Gunther Verheugen announced that 'dual marking' of goods in both imperial and metric will 'continue indefinitely'.
The Metric Martyrs campaign was set up to highlight the case of Sunderland greengrocer Steven Thoburn, who was prosecuted for selling by the pound.

What you need to know


Goods sold loose by weight need to be sold in grams and kilograms
Traders are allowed to display in both imperial and metric, but not in imperial only
Imperial measures must not be more prominent than metric measures
Consumers can continue to express the quantity they wish to buy in pounds and ounces
Draught beer and milk in returnable containers can still be sold in pints
If in doubt check with local trading standards officers. Those caught breaking the rules could face large fines or even prison.
Source: European Commission/Business Link