THE protestors who have tunnelled under the gardens outside Euston station in London to highlight their opposition to HS2 say the security staff who are trying to evict them have started their own tunnel.

The protestors say the eviction officials have been boring a vertical tunnel under Euston Square Gardens in a bid to reach them in their underground bolthole. One of the protestors told the BBC: ‘All night we've had rocks falling down on to our head through the gaps. They've kept us awake all night for hours and hours and hours to keep us awake and try and coax us out of the hole. All of the dirt is still coming down in my sleeves. It's not the most pleasant of experiences, it's pretty nasty.’

There has been concern for the safety of the ‘moles’, particularly as there have been forecasts of heavy rain. Even so, the protestors say they can last several more days. Some other protestors above ground have been arrested.

HS2 has not commented on the latest developments, but had said that the eviction would be carried out safely.

The protest began in September, when some of the trees in the gardens were occupied, with anti-HS2 banners being displayed. The protestors went below ground more recently to prevent their eviction from the gardens, and are said to have tunnelled for 30 metres.