The barbed wire fence used to stop illegal immigrants from sneaking into Hong Kong will retreat by about 10 metres to give way for a flood-prevention project.
But the move has revived fears among border villagers over security after the double murder of a Yuen Long couple by an armed illegal immigrant last week.
A three-kilometre section of the border fence and guard posts between Lok Ma Chau control point and Tam Kon Chau area - near Mai Po Nature Reserve - will be torn down later this year.
The demolition is to allow the building of a wider and deeper concrete channel at Shenzhen River to alleviate floods in the northern New Territories.
A Ping Shan villager, Chan King-fook, said: 'The illegal immigrants may make use of the chance to go into Hong Kong. The police should maintain high security during the works.' The Drainage Services Department's assistant engineer Lau Wing-kam said the relocation would see the border fence retreat by about 10 metres to the south.
But the border remains to be measured from the middle of the river channel.
Mr Lau also dismissed villagers' fears and said: 'The existing security facilities will not be demolished before the new fence and new border road are completed.
