Anger over ban on beer in litres

Mr Davison has enlisted the help of the Metric Martyrs Movement

A restaurant owner has described laws which ban him from serving beer by the litre as "barmy" after he was threatened with court action.

Nic Davison was served an infringement notice by trading standards officers for selling beer illegally.

Mr Davison, who owns the Kuchnia Polska restaurant in Doncaster, was told to change his glasses within 28 days or face a court hearing and a £2,000 fine.

The 1988 Weights and Measures Act says draught beer must be sold in pints.

Mr Davison, 26, who owns the restaurant with his Polish partner Dr Krystyna Ciurai, said he was writing a letter to trading standards to tell them he will not be changing his glasses and that he intends to fight them all the way.

'Ensure consistency'

"They're barmy laws, the laws are just silly, they've got to sort it out," he said.

"We had the idea for the bar as my other half is Polish and I've visited Poland many times and speak the language.

"We've a great crowd who come in here - people from the town and people from Poland.

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Beer sold in litres banned

"They find this all rather amusing - they never realised it was illegal to drink beer in litres rather than pints."

Mr Davison opened the restaurant, on Sunny Bar, on Polish Independence Day in May and serves beer from a Polish brewer.

He has enlisted the help of the Metric Martyrs Movement, which believes traders should be allowed to sell goods in whatever measurements they want to - though unlike Mr Davison's fight, most previous battles have been over being forced to sell products in metric measurements.

Jane Miller, director for neighbourhoods at Doncaster Council, said: "In the UK, free-flow beer must be sold in stamped pint or half pint glasses. This ensures consistency all over the country.

"We want to help the restaurant owner get this right and are providing help and advice so they sell their beer in accordance to the law."