January 13, 2000
A small village on the border between East and West Sussex has broken away from Britain and declared its independence. East Grinstead now calls itself the People's Republic of Ashurst Wood Nation State (PRAWNS). Visitors need visas to get through the passport controls on the four entrances to the village and the residents have already established their own ministries.
The Ministry for Mental Health doubles up as the village pub, but the community leader, or King Prawn, says there is a serious side to what started out as a lighthearted millennium project. ''We're trying to gain our own independence. It sometimes feels that the county council (local government) is a very, very long way away and they've never been to visit us, '' he told BBC radio yesterday.
