‘I’m prepared to go to prison’: HS2 treehouse protesters clash with authorities seeking to evict them from woodland which inspired Roald Dahl

Demonstrators have spent months sleeping in trees to block rail project they say is ‘not needed’

Protesters in treehouses blocking HS2 construction in woodland which inspired Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s books have clashed with authorities attempting to evict them.

Security teams and police have begun efforts to remove about 40 activists, including 15 sitting in makeshift treehouses 60 feet above the ground, from Jones’ Hill Wood in Buckinghamshire.

Thames Valley Police said officers had made three arrests over the protest so far.

Demonstrators have been fighting against the construction of the high-speed rail route through the wood, which is believed to have inspired Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, for seven months.

Steve Masters, a 50-year-old Green Party councillor for West Berkshire Council, told the PA news agency on Thursday that he had slept in the wood every night for the past three months.

He warned that projects like HS2 would not protect future generations from the effects of climate change.

“[HS2] is an engineering project that's not needed, it's not going to be carbon neutral for 120 plus years,” Mr Masters said.

“It's just going to save 20 minutes in a world where, post-Covid, people are working from home and remote working is the new normal.

“We should be investing that kind of money in the existing transport structures in major metropolitan centres.”

The councillor added that he had been arrested before at two other HS2 construction sites and was “prepared for a long stay”.

“I won't be walking out of this wood, they will have to force and carry me out. I'm even prepared to go to prison,” he said.

The Woodland Trust, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, has called for the government to hold the HS2 project to account over its “destruction of ancient woods and trees”.

“We are in the midst of a nature and climate crisis,” the charity said.

“Yet at least 20 areas of ancient woodland are set to be destroyed, in full or in part, over the coming months as HS2 prepares the ground for construction works.”

It added that displaced woodland animals would be forced to move to other areas and “compete with each other for food and shelter”.

Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham has also backed calls for the woodlands to be protected from HS2.

A spokesperson for the construction project described the protests as “a straight-forward issue of trespass” and said the process of removing protesters could take several days.

“These protests are a danger to the safety of the protestors, our staff and the general public, and put unnecessary strain on the emergency services,” HS2 said in a statement.

“The land at Jones' Hill Wood is legally owned by HS2 and we need safe access to begin archaeology and ecology work.”

It added: “All leading wildlife organisations agree that climate change is the biggest future threat to wildlife and habitats in the UK.

“By providing a cleaner, greener way to travel, HS2 will help cut the number of cars and lorries on our roads, cut demand for domestic flights, and help the country's fight against climate change.”

The project also said it had planted more than 70,000 new trees to create woodlands for future generations and wildlife.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said HS2 Ltd had evicted a number of people for trespassing on the land but noted that the issue was a civil matter and was not being enforced by police.

“Our role is to ensure public safety, and facilitate a peaceful protest while at the same time ensuring HS2 Ltd's legal rights to carry out their work,” the spokesperson said.

Additional reporting by PA