First Brussels brought on a national rebellion by making us weigh bananas in grammes.

Now EU bureaucrats threaten to unleash a whole new breed of martyr - window cleaners who refuse to dump the ladder.

Work at Height Regulations were agreed in Parliament in April but many window cleaners are unaware that ladders are now illegal in most work situations and should be replaced with water-fed poles whenever possible.

Dan Barker, 36, runs Worthing-based firm Wash 'n' Wipe. He said the regulations could put him out of business as the cost of new equipment will set him back thousands of pounds.

He said: "These regulations are an outrage. They are just another bunch of silly EU rules that will crush a lot of window cleaners in this country."

Mr Barker has been climbing ladders for 12 years without any accidents but admits he may have to fork out for the new equipment to escape prosecution.

Carbon-fibre water-fed telescopic poles allow window cleaners to clean windows up to 65ft high from the safety of the ground.

Ionic Systems, based in Swindon, Wiltshire, charges from £99 for a basic 12ft pole that can be attached to an outside tap to £8,000 for larger poles that come with a hot water system mounted on to a trailer or fitted into a van.

The hot-water system involves five stages of water treatment. These are carbon filter, water softener, reverse osmosis filter, deionising filter and sediment filter.

Some window cleaners have already taken up the new gadgets. Bernie Flint set up Brighton-based We Wash Windows one year ago after discovering a gap in the market.

He said: "We couldn't find a window cleaner in the area. People weren't joining the industry because of the new regulations but these poles are quicker and they clean better.

Andrew Lee, health and safety officer for the Federation of Master Window and General Cleaners, said water-fed poles are not always suitable.

He said: "Window cleaners have only experienced six deaths from portable ladders in the past ten years. Certain windows can't be abseiled or accessed with a cherrypicker so you use a portable ladder.

"You can't make a dirty window sparkle when you're 20ft away. It's easier when it's straight in front of you."