ANTI-HS2 campaigners threw ‘£50 billion’ onto a bonfire to symbolise what they feel is the waste of tax payers’ money on the planned high speed link.

Fifty cardboard boxes, each ‘containing £1 billion,’ went up in flames on Saturday evening at Phil Smallwood’s farm near Middlewich.

Phil is the tenant farmer at Greenheyes Farm, and could lose his house and some of his current holding if the proposed route of HS2 is given the go-ahead.

“About 30 people attended the bonfire, which was very successful and achieved our two objectives,” said Graham Dellow, secretary of Mid Cheshire Against HS2, which organised the event.

“The event was aimed at marking the second anniversary of the announcement of the second phase of HS2, and to demonstrate that HS2 is such an awful way to spend £50 billion of taxpayers’ money.”

About 30 people attended the bonfire, including members of the campaign group and local residents who support the campaign.

Also present were Amos Wright and Charles Dodman, UKIP’s prospective Parliamentary candidates for Weaver Vale and Eddisbury respectively, and Tina-Louise Rothery, the Green Party’s prospective candidate for Tatton.

“It was a huge bonfire that Phil had built during the week, and we were very pleased with the turnout on what was a very cold night,” added Graham.

The campaign is hoping to gain national as well as local publicity for the event, and the bonfire coincided with similar events in Staffordshire on Saturday and last Wednesday.