PRIME Minister David Cameron said this week opponents of HS2 are putting the country at risk - but a south Bucks MP denied campaigners lack vision.

Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry conference on Monday, Mr Cameron said the controversial multi billion pound scheme was "a good investment for Britain".

But Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan said it was "not the case" opponents to the proposals lacked vision over a project the Prime Minister believes will bring prosperity to the north.

Mrs Gillan said: "I, like many of my fellow opponents, want to see a better transport infrastructure and greater economic prosperity for all. Yet HS2 is not the answer to these issues. I believe we can achieve an integrated transport system without damaging irreparably our cherished countryside and at a lesser cost.

"By the time HS2 is completed it will likely be out of date, particularly when considering the current rate of development in communication technology. It is a bit like promoting the golf ball typewriter in the era of the internet and portable tablets.

"I continue to hope that we can secure less costly alternatives that will provide better value for money for the taxpayer and the fare paying public."

Mr Cameron said this week: "I want to make sure we get every penny of value for money.

"This is a good investment for Britain. People who are against it are, in my view, putting our country at risk. They are putting the future of the north of England at risk.

"What we really need is a concerted consensus across business, across politics, that we get behind these large infrastructure projects."