Mystery totem pole appears on coastal path in south-east England

Historians and local people ponder presence of 8ft pole after appeal to find artist unsuccessful

When a totem pole mysteriously appeared on a popular coastal path in south-east England, local speculation as to who was responsible for the wooden monolith ranged from art pranksters to aliens.

The 8ft (2.4-metre) pole, erected on the clifftops on the North Downs Way in Kent, between Folkestone and Dover, has particularly provoked interest for its inscription with the name Perknas, the Baltic god of thunder.