A St Albans woman sat up a tree at Parliament for 16 days to highlight the climate emergency.

The 26-year-old woman, who wants to be known as Eli Rose, was one of three protestors occupying trees to stop the HS2 rail link and promote the Climate and Ecological Emergency bill.

This is a Private Members’ Bill which calls on the UK to make and enact a serious plan to tackle the climate crisis.

Eli said it was very difficult but she believes was important for her to do it and she feels that people are listening: “Police would not let anyone pass up food or water for 48 hours which made me feel ill. Protestors were throwing things up to us as they were concerned and worried about my welfare. Some of the protestors were doctors and enabled antibiotics to be tied on to a rope.”

Eli, who lives in the New Greens area, said: “I was living up in the tree because I want children, but I cannot bear knowing I will bring them into a world where they will have to battle through food shortages and drought.

“I feel completely let down by the government who prioritise spending £230 billion of taxpayers’ money on such a destructive project, while our NHS continues to fall apart in the middle of a global pandemic.”

Eli first visited Denham wildlife protection camp, Hillingdon, in May, firstly delivering food and then to stay, she learned to climb trees just three weeks ago, and took to the trees in Parliament Square on Tuesday, September 2 during the latest XR rebellion protest.

The woman claims that HS2 have ramped up tree felling in Denham Country Park to clear a path for a temporary haul road to transport a pylon, which campaigners have stated could be transported via the adjacent Grand Union Canal to avoid irreparable damage to the nature reserve.

There are wildlife protection camps along the HS2 line where conscientious protectors are trying to delay the works until the government stops HS2.