Euro MP Jeffrey Titford today pledged to back rebel butcher Dave Stephens to the hilt.

Mr Stephens, co-owner of Mandy's Chop Shop in the Broadway, Leigh, has vowed to flout the European ban on imperial measurements in a campaign to protect pounds and ounces.

Mr Titford, UK Independence Party MEP for the Eastern region which includes south Essex, visited the shop today and said: "We are going to back Mr Stephens to the hilt.

"We have at least three or four barristers who have offered their services to us and we hope he is supported by many, many other people.

"We believe there are going to be about 34,000 shopkeepers who are going to be defying this."

Members of the UK Independence Party protested outside the shop today watched by a growing media following, including a TV crew from Dutch television.

Fighting for the llb - MEP Jeffrey Titford with rebel butcher Dave Stephens

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.