Row erupts as English town bids to defect to Scotland
English politicians have vowed to repel a cross-border raid to take the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed back into Scotland.
Calls to redraw the border and return the town to Edinburgh control would cause major upheaval and require "massive negotiation", it was warned.
Local politician Christine Grahame has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for Berwick to return to "Scottish nationhood".
It calls on Scottish ministers to begin negotiations with Westminster to secure Berwick-upon-Tweed's "restoration" as part of Scotland.
Isabel Hunter, leader of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, said residents of the town would like to enjoy the same benefits as people in Scotland, such as free personal care for the elderly and no university tuition fees.
She said the practicalities of redrawing the border made it too complicated to become a reality, however.
She said: "Everything here is governed by English law, and Scottish law is different, so everything would have to be changed."
Another problem would be deciding where to put the boundary, she said.
If the river was designated as the boundary, this would sever Berwick from the communities of Tweedmouth and Spittal on the opposite bank, which could upset people.
The town, which is classed as Northumberland but lies just a mile from the Scottish border, has changed hands between the two countries at least 13 times between 1296 and 1482.
Berwick Rangers even play in the Scottish football league.
