PENRITH and the Border MP Rory Stewart is calling on thousands of people to link hands along England's 'old border' with Scotland as a demonstration of the human ties that bind the two nations.

Mr Stewart said the event he plans for July 19 would 'show the love that exists between the four nations of the union'.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate today, the MP said the union wasn't just about economics - Scotland would be missed for emotional reasons.

Linking hands along the 'old border' of Hadrian'sWall would show how much the rest of the UK cares about Scotland, Mr Stewart said.

"It cannot be simply economics. If a relationship is going wrong, if a marriage is going wrong, the answer cannot simply be to say 'you can't afford to break up because you are going to lose the house'.

"The answer has to be only one thing, which is 'I love you'. What we need is the human expression.

Mr Stewart said he hoped 100,000 people from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland would gather along the ancient border on July 19, linking arms.