MP Cheryl Gillan says she would 'dearly love' High Speed 2 to be scrapped after campaigners questioned if she was still pressing for the scheme to be axed completely.

Protesters met her before Christmas and told the Bucks Free Press there were concerns over whether the Parliamentarian was just seeking measures to reduce its impact on the Chilterns.

Mrs Gillan held talks with new Transport Secretary Justine Greening at the end of last year, shortly before it emerged in national media reports that tunnels could be built under the Buckinghamshire countryside to placate demonstrators.

She insisted she continues to robustly oppose the £33bn project.

Mrs Gillan, the Welsh Secretary, said: "I would dearly love the wishes of my constituents to be granted and the scheme scrapped but if it goes to the next stage then of course I would want it mitigated as much as possible.

“I continue to make strong representations on the project."

Four members of Great Missenden StopHS2 action group presented her with a petition calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to cancel the HS2 project forthwith at a private meeting in December.

"I have arranged for the petition to be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport, as this seemed to be the most direct way, so I have sent it to the Department,” she said.

Mrs Gillan played down suggestions she may resign from her Government Ministerial role over the issue late last year.