The star of films including The Day of the Jackal, A Bridge Too Far and Gandhi, described the late Sunderland greengrocer as a "people's champion" in the Food for Heroes cookbook, which will benefit the charity Help for Heroes.

Mr Thoburn, who died suddenly in 2004 aged 39, hit the headlines in 2001 after being prosecuted for selling fruit and vegetables by the pound.

His appeals against conviction were taken to the House of Lords and European Court of Human Rights.

In 2007, the European Commission published proposals that would permit the use of price and quantity marking using imperial measurements alongside, but not instead of, metric units.

The British actor wrote: "Steve became the people's champion for his courage in standing up for his customers' rights to buy their fruit and vegetables in imperial measures. He was a good and brave man."

A hundred people were asked to nominate their hero and the dish they would cook for them, and the book is the result.

Fox's recipe is Panga (a type of fish) Tandoori.

Among those asked were Gordon Brown, Dame Vera Lynn, and UK war veterans.

Sunderland-born veteran broadcaster Kate Adie also wrote the foreword to the book.

Mr Thoburn became famous after his scales were seized from his market stall by Trading Standards officers who caught him selling bananas by the pound.

It triggered a legal battle in which he was joined by four other traders from across the country to fight European regulations requiring food traders to sell produce in metric measurements.

Their legal battle was funded through the Metric Martyr Defence Fund, raised from donations by the public.

Fellow campaigner Neil Herron said Mr Fox had been a supporter of their cause from the very early days, along with the likes of singer Elaine Paige, racing driver Stirling Moss and politicians Lord Tebbit and Tony Benn.

"To have Steve elevated to the position of hero by such a highly respected British actor and gentleman is a great honour for his family, the campaign and all our supporters," said Mr Herron.

"An extraordinary, ordinary man, Steve's courageous stand for his customers and common sense is recognised the world over and the Metric Martyrs have won their battle in the court of the people and now accepted by the politicians that this was bad law."

Supporters continue to push for a posthumous Royal Pardon for Mr Thoburn and the four other martyrs.

Leigh Thoburn, Steve's widow, said his family are extremely proud of the tribute.

"He will always be a hero to us," she said. "A hero as a husband, a hero as a dad, and a hero to all his customers as someone who had the courage to stand up for common sense."

Food for Heroes is available at all good stockists. Alternatively, visit www.accentpress.co.uk, www.foodforheroes.mnmwebdesign.co.uk or www.helpforheroes.org.uk.