Pranksters set up border checkpoint between England and Scotland

A Scotsman wearing a kilt goes through a fake border patrol checkpoint created by photographer Jon Parker Lee. Photo courtesy of Manchester photo.

On Thursday, a referendum will be held to decide whether Scotland should become independent from the United Kingdom. Some people, however, decided not to wait for the results: earlier this week, an English photographer set up a fake border patrol checkpoint near the border between Scotland and England. He told us that this was meant as a humorous gesture to lighten the mood, amid heated debates in the lead-up to the vote.

With the help of a Scottish friend, photographer Jon Parker Lee constructed a fake checkpoint to trick drivers. His photos, which he published on his Twitter account, show the two friends dressed up as border patrol agents. A sign says that the border patrol checkpoint will open on September 19, which is the day after the vote.

Lee’s project echoes a recent spat between the Scottish Prime Minister Alex Salmond, who is pro-independence, and the leader of the British Labour Party, Ed Miliband. Salmond has insisted there would be no need for border controls if Scotland becomes independent, while Miliband said border guards would be needed.

"Everyone we stopped thought it was quite funny"

My Scottish friend and I came up with this idea a few weeks ago. With the referendum fast approaching, we felt that debates were getting really heated between those who are for and against Scotland’s independence. So we wanted to find a way to bring a bit of humour into it.

We made the whole checkpoint ourselves: for the barrier, we used a mix of plastic, plywood and line pipe. The uniforms were fake too: we bought bright yellow vests like those that border patrol officers wear, and made badges that read “Scottish Border Agency”. We spent a long time looking for a spot to set up the checkpoint – somewhere secure, where we wouldn’t put drivers in any sort of danger. We chose a spot right off the A 68 freeway, near the Carter Bar, which is on the border between England and Scotland.

We were curious to see how people would react. It turned out that everybody we stopped thought it was quite funny, whether or not they were in favour of Scotland’s independence! And I was happy to see this: even if it’s cliché to say, I also did this to remind people that if there’s one thing that unites the English and the Scottish, it’s their world-renowned sense of humour.

For my part, I’m not taking position; in any case, I can’t vote in the referendum, since I’m English. However my wife is Scottish, and I live near Scotland, so of course I’m very interested to see what happens. I think that the “No” vote will win, because that’s what the polls are saying, and I think the majority of people would rather not head into unchartered waters.

The referendum, which was initiated by the Scottish government, will take place Thursday September 18. In early July, the “Yes” vote was lagging nearly 20 points behind “No” in the polls. However, the margin has considerably tightened. As of Wednesday, three separate polls predicted that the “No” vote would win by only a few points.