Anti-HS2 activists evicted from Wendover protest camp

Image source, Lachlan Macrae/PA Wire

Image caption, A spokeswoman for the protesters said four people had been evicted so far and one person had left voluntarily

Four people have been evicted from an anti-HS2 protest camp site in Buckinghamshire, campaigners said.

The eviction at Wendover Active Resistance camp began on Sunday and is expected to last weeks.

The environmental activists have dug a tunnel, built treehouses and erected a 15m high tower on the site.

Veteran protester Dan Hooper, also known as "Swampy", said the eviction had been "quite chilled" so far.

The camp, which features an unknown number of protesters, is on a narrow area of land between the A413 and the local Chiltern railway line south of Wendover.

Heading north, the HS2 line will pass over the road and railway on a low viaduct before entering a tunnel to pass to the west of the town.

Image source, Lachlan Macrae/PA Wire

Image caption, Dan Hooper said the activists at the site had a "good rapport" with the tunnel eviction team

Mr Hooper said he expected the eviction to take "quite a while" and estimated he and other activists would be there into December.

A HS2 spokesman said: "HS2 has a legal right to possession of this land which is needed for the safe construction of the railway.

"We are currently working to safely remove a number of illegal trespassers who have put themselves into dangerous positions."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk