Last British army border post to be removed
The last British army observation post on the North's border will be removed within days, it was confirmed today.
The UK's Ministry of Defence said work on the removal of the post at Forkhill in South Armagh would be completed “very shortly”.
It will be the 13th and last to go since the military normalisation process got under way in 1999.
Sinn Féin Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, Davy Hyland welcomed the news.
He said: “I have been informed by the British government that the British army will have retreated from their remaining hilltop spy post in South Armagh by next week.”
The land occupied by the Forkhill post would be returned to its rightful owners, he said.
However he said there were still outstanding issues, chief amongst them the need for all land to be returned to its owners.
Currently there were moves afoot by the Policing Board and the Police Service to take over land due to be vacated by the army in Crossmaglen, he said, thus preventing its return to its rightful owner.
Mr Hyland said the situation was unacceptable and he had raised it with both the British and Irish Governments.
