THE familiar cry "Pound of bananas" is still set to ring out at York's Newgate Market, despite a High Court defeat for Britain's "metric martyrs".

And shoppers said today they would continue to ask for produce in pounds and ounces rather than kilos.

Five market traders and greengrocers from across Britain lost their case at the High Court yesterday to sell their fruit and veg in imperial instead of metric measurements.

The five, who branded the defeat "the death of democracy", may now take their case to the House of Lords, if they can find the money to fund it.

Shoppers at Newgate Market were generally unhappy with the decision, with one customer, Stephen Young, of York, saying: "I am British and not foreign, and I want to buy things in pounds and ounces. The European Court should be hung, drawn and quartered."

Tourist Jean Jones said she would continue to think in pounds and ounces, and was worried that the switch to metric would mean prices going up.

A York shopper added: "It's confusing enough with this. I hate to think what it will be like when the euro comes in!"

Traders said they would have to put kilos first on the price labels, although "lbs and ozs" would also be displayed still.

Tracey Ellis, manageress of one stall, said: "We do get a lot of customers asking for pounds and ounces, rather than kilos."

And she said she would continue to shout out: "Pound of bananas!"

North Yorkshire Tory Euro-MP Robert Goodwill condemned the decision as a blow for British national law. "It's what we have been saying for a long time," he said.

"National law is now apparently subservient to European law, and that goes against all the fundamentals of our constitution."

He said he was brought up with pounds and ounces, while younger people thought in metric measurements. "But what is at stake here is an important principle. I hope their appeal will be successful in the House of Lords."

He also felt local authorities which had originally prosecuted the traders should have shown some common sense, saying there had been no complaints against the businesses.

Updated: 15:14 Tuesday, February 19, 2002