Later in the day, Sayuti said the barbed wire along the stretch near the
border stone were at best waist-high, describing how he simply stepped over the wire to enter Thailand.
But
Border Stone Quarries say the small-scale quarrying, extracting around 1,000 tonnes of sandstone a year, will not have a significant impact on wildlife or the nearby village.
At Deadwater, the launch party included farmers Jimmy and Fiona Hall; Kath Nisbet, civic head at Northumberland County Council; Robert Charlton, managing director of
Border Stone Quarry which provided the obelisk, and children from Kielder First School.
The stone obelisk was provided by Robert Charlton of
Border Stone Quarries in Haltwhistle, and the structural design work was carried out by Cundalls in Gosforth, Newcastle.
The stone is being provided by Robert Charlton of
Border Stone Quarries, Haltwhistle, while the the structural design work is by Cundalls in Gosforth, Newcastle and carving is by Gilbert Ward, of Fourstones village.
Robert Charlton failed to install proper safety measures at his
Border Stone Quarries business in Kirkholmedale, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, exposing his staff to a killer lung-wasting disease.
Mr Charlton, who also owns
Border Stone Quarries in Haltwhistle and the Greenhead Hotel, said he was now considering his options but was keen to continue offering accommodation at the premises.
The "welcome" statues have been funded with pounds 8,000 from the Market Towns Initiative, town council money and
Border Stone Quarries.
Plastic lawn edging or
border stones should do the trick.