EU stealing the crown of the great British pint

But this British tradition has now fallen victim to the extension of the EU's tentacles into national life and the demise of UK manufacturing.

Critics fear the loss of the crown will be followed by the loss of the pint itself, with British drinkers being required to switch to continental metric measures.

Ever since 1699, successive governments have found it necessary to measure and certify the pint and half-pint glasses made and used in this country.

The rules, which were intended to assure suspicious beer drinkers that they were not being given short measures, meant a crown and certification number was printed on each glass.

However, the EU is introducing a standard European-wide system for guaranteeing the size and safety of glasses.

Consequently, the new glasses now appearing in British pubs and bars carry a CE mark - which, in French, stands for European Conformity'.

The loss of the crown is further evidence that the EU's grip on the nation's weights and measures is tightening.

Already greengrocers have been hauled before the courts for refusing to abide by EU rules that fresh produce must now be sold in kilos and grams, rather than pounds and ounces.

Conservative MP Philip Davies is concerned the introduction of EU-wide certification of glasses is part of a wider campaign to eliminate Imperial measures, such as the pint.

He said: "This is just unnecessary and over-the-top bureaucracy by pen-pushers at the EU. It seems they cannot help but stick their noses into more and more aspects of the British way of life, even if it has nothing whatsoever to do with them.

"It is sad that after 300 years one of our traditions is on the brink of extinction because the EU hates the fact that millions of people want a pint rather than a litre."

Neil Herron, campaign director of the Metric Martyrs, a group born after meddling trading standards chiefs prosecuted Sunderland greengrocer Steve Thoburn for sell produce in pounds and ounces, said he was "dismayed".

He said: "This is just another example of the drip, drip, drip approach to removing our national identity and I'm surprised the brewing industry hasn't kicked up more of a fuss.

"If Brussels ever tried to remove the pint, people would be up in arms, yet when it is trying to get rid of it by stealth, nobody has said a word."

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) said the use of the crown stamp has been killed off by stealth, regardless of EU rules, as a direct result of the contraction of British manufacturing.

The manufacture of most pint and half-pint glasses has been shifted to the Czech Republic, where costs are much lower. Consequently, the glasses coming out of these factories automatically get the CE mark, even if they are an imperial pint.

Camra is more concerned that beer drinkers have been getting short measures on their pints for many years, regardless of whether the glasses have a crown stamp.

It is fighting plans by the Department of Trade & Industry to allow publicans to serve 95per cent liquid and call this a full pint without being prosecuted.

A Camra spokesman said: "We don't think it makes a difference whether it is a European mark or a crown mark, as long as customers are served a full pint.

"There are still plenty of crown-stamped pint glasses around although they are no longer being produced in any quantity. So once the last one gets broken the crown on the glass will be consigned to history."

The Trading Standards Institute, which also supports efforst to guarantee drinkers a full pint of liquid rather than 95per cent, said consumers are already familiar with the CE mark.

Spokesman, Bryan Lewin, said: "The 'CE' mark is on toys across Europe, on windscreens across Europe, on everything so there is no reason for pint glasses to be different.

"t means that every pint and half-pint glass produced conforms throughout Europe. It means we are all the same with one standard whether we live in the UK, France, Germany or Latvia."