Police on site at HS2 protest in Great Missenden to 'support right to a peaceful protest'

Officers told campaigners who are camping at the site they are there to 'support your right to a peaceful protest' but some of the group have question whether it is a good use of force resources.

Protesters are on site to try and stop the widening to the Link Road, which would mean that a number of trees would be chopped down. The Link Road widening is part of a mitigation scheme and is being paid for by HS2, but campaigners argue that the work could be totally unnecessary if the scheme is scrapped by the Oakervee Review which is currently ongoing.

Elizabeth Cairns, one of the protest co-ordinators said that she spoke to several officers at Link Road this morning.

She said: “Whilst the officers were cheerful and forthcoming with information there was an awful lot of surveillance of us and the people visiting the site which runs contrary to their supposed remit here.

"The presence of this many officers not only is an excessive use of local police resources but totally unnecessary given that this site has been entirely peaceful since its formation and intends to continue with that as our abiding principle.

"We are here to protect the trees and are pleased that our presence here is waking people up to the scale of ecological destruction that is happening at the hands of HS2 not only in the Chilterns, but across the country."

The Great Missenden Save Link Road Trees was formed on Monday 13th October by concerned local residents and businesses, anti HS2 members of local Extinction Rebellion groups, as well as having national support from Stop HS2.

The Bucks Herald is leading a HS2: Enough is Enough Campaign which argues that the scheme is totally unnecessary and will leave Aylesbury Vale and Chilterns forever damaged.

To join our campaign group click HERE