The claim states that if a greengrocer weighs out and sells a pound of bananas to a customer who asked for them, the greengrocer will have broken the law. This is an oversimplification of UK law as it stood in December 2011. **What was actually illegal:** Under the Weights and Measures Act 1985, as amended by the Units of Measurement Regulations 1994 (implementing EU Directive 80/181/EEC), the use of the pound as a **primary** unit of measurement for trade in loose goods became a criminal offence after 1 January 2000. This meant using imperial-only weighing scales for trade, and pricing goods solely by reference to imperial units, was illegal. Steve Thoburn was convicted in March 2001 specifically for using weighing apparatus that did not comply with the Act — i.e., scales that only measured in pounds and ounces. The prosecuting QC herself stated: "This case is not about prosecuting Mr Thoburn for selling a pound of bananas; it is about Mr Thoburn using the scales for weighing goods not approved by weights and measures authorities." **What was perfectly legal:** Imperial units (including the pound) could be used as **supplementary indications** alongside metric measurements, provided the metric indication was more prominent. This was confirmed and made indefinite by the Weights and Measures (Metrication Amendments) Regulations 2009. Additionally, consumers were explicitly permitted to **request** imperial quantities — a customer could ask for "a pound of bananas" and the greengrocer could legally sell them that amount, as long as the goods were weighed on approved metric scales and any imperial indication was supplementary to the metric one. The claim captures a real legal restriction but presents it in a way that exaggerates its scope, implying any sale of "a pound of bananas" was criminal rather than the more limited prohibition on using imperial units as the primary measurement for trade. A greengrocer who weighed bananas on metric scales, charged by the kilogram, and mentioned the imperial equivalent as a supplementary indication would be acting lawfully. The illegality arose only when imperial units were the sole or primary measurement used for trade (i.e., using imperial-only scales or pricing solely in pounds). Sources: Thoburn v Sunderland City Council, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoburn_v_Sunderland_City_Council ; R v Steven Thoburn, Sunderland Magistrates Court trial transcript, http://bwma.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20010115-Sunderland-magistrates-trial-of-Steven-Thoburn.pdf ; The Units of Measurement Regulations 1994, legislation.gov.uk, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/2867/made ; The Weights and Measures (Metrication Amendments) Regulations 2009, legislation.gov.uk, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/3045/data.html ; Weights and measures: the law, GOV.UK, https://www.gov.uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law ; Packaged goods: weights and measures regulations, GOV.UK, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/packaged-goods-weights-and-measures-regulations