PG Crewdson, County Trading Standards Officer, claims that traders who don't convert to metric are breaking the law (Cornish Times, Feb 18). But he doesn't state with what offence, under what law, they would be charged.

Trading standards officers (and Department of Trade and Industry officials), in my experience, often rely on hearsay for their understanding of the law - and often get it wrong.

The recent legal opinion of Mr Michael Shrimpton, a brilliant and distinguished barrister who specialises in constitutional and administrative law, is that it's legal for traders to sell in imperial measures. Has Mr Crewdson read this erudite opinion?

Why does he mention a political party? It's not for any trading standards officer to bring politics into his work, and support or oppose in it any political party.

We, the people of Cornwall, as ratepayers, pay Mr Crewdson to provide us with consumer protection. Metrication has nothing to do with consumer protection. Mr Crewdson's threat to neglect consumer protection and divert our rates to prosecuting traders for selling goods or services in imperial measures rather than metric ones is outrageous. Will it now be repudiated by our elected representatives who run Cornwall County Council on our behalf?

KEITH BRIAN

St Martin By Looe