EUROCRATS could force a Worcester theme pub to call time on its litre measures of beer.

The Cardinal's Hat, which eight weeks ago re-opened as an Austrian bar, has been told by Worcestershire Trading Standards that it must stick to serving a pints.

Although the rest of Europe - including Austria, licensee Andrea Schutz's native land - sell their beer in metric measures, in England it is illegal to do so.

"When we opened, we explained to our customers they could order a pint or a traditional Austrian glass," the landlady said.

"But people don't want to drink Austrian beer in an English glass. We have a separate glass for each drink. We don't want to try and change anything, we just want to give our customers the choice."

A bar spokesman insisted the glasses were crucial to the taste of the beer.

"Austrian flutes capture a great deal more flavour as pint glasses are very open. It makes a dramatic difference," he said.

After the Trading Standards visit last week, outraged customers began a petition to defend the bar's right to serve its Austrian beer in traditional glasses.

"It started on Tuesday evening. Our customers just decided to do it and now we have got about 200 signatures," said the spokesman.

Regulars are convinced that any changes will ruin the atmosphere of the bar.

"I like everything as it is," said customer

Terry Owens. "The traditional beer is one of the main reasons I come in here."

Fellow drinker Lawrie Skitt commented: "To drink this beer in litres and half-litres adds to the atmosphere and ambience of the place."

According to Worcester Trading Standards, under the law, the bar has three options. It can convert solely to pint glasses; it can measure in pints and then pour into the traditional Austrian flutes; or it can have non-metric measures marked on glasses.

However, all three options have been dismissed because of the cost and the effect on the beer's flavour.

Trading Standards spokesman John Dell said most produce in Britain must now be sold in metric measures.

"Converse to almost everything else, you just can't serve beer in metric quantities," he said.