Thanks for taking the time to reply,
Unfortunately I'm bang to rights with the wording of Lasors 2010 so I'm not confident an appeal will be any good.
Briefly, I let my UK ATPL and more problematically my I/R lapse while working on a Hong Kong ATPL. Each edition of Lasors during the last decade recognized the fact that I have maintained a current I/R on an ICAO licence and so to revalidate my UK IR was simply a case of doing a skills test. In late 2010 the latest edition of Lasors was published and without warning the CAA decided that non JAR ICAO I/R's were no longer recognized and in order to renew my UK I/R I will have to re sit the theoretical knowledge examinations.
I feel there is absolutely no basis for this let alone reason but then it's the CAA so yes, I would rather create an expensive stink than dust off my whizz wheel and sit those completely irrelevant exams. I actually think that if I even attempted to take the plotting compass on to an aircraft I'd be calling the Chief Pilot explaining why airport security were detaining me for questioning.
Again thank you for taking the time to reply.