Hefty increase in charge

Thursday 04 September 2014

One of the quirkier services that you can get in the Central Market is about to get an inflation-busting price rise – but it’s still only going to cost you an extra five pence a go…

The cost of the personal weighing service is going up a shocking 12.5% from 1 January, but don’t worry too much, the cost is only actually changing from 40 pence to 45 pence.

The weighing service – also known as Queens Weights – is run in the Trading Standards department in the market.

Staff say an average of around 250 people step on to the scales every week, and that while most people leave their clothes on, they did have a boxer in once who stripped right down to a skimpy set of underwear.

The service has been running for at least 60 years, but it’s been almost a decade since the prices were changed – so last month Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean signed a formal ministerial order to take the price up to an eye-watering 45 pence from the start of next year.