MYSTERY surrounds a campaign leaflet featuring a Bucks Free Press article being posted through residents' doors in Amersham.

Reacting angrily to recently-unveiled plans for a high speed rail link through the county, the flyer features a story published in the March 26 edition of the Bucks Free Press.

The preferred route announced by the Department for Transport would go through a tunnel underneath Amersham and the Chalfonts before cutting through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And the campaign leaflet says the new link, which would allow trains to run at 250mph between London and Birmingham, would “destroy homes and de-value house prices” in Amersham.

It states: “Don't be fooled that [this] is a simple train track like the Metropolitan Line! This is a serious high speed rail link, with overhead cables and pylons, electricity substations, service roads to get to each stretch of the line, ventilation shafts, first aid rooms, and lots and lots of concrete! Plus up to nine trains an hour at speeds in excess of 250mph! Don't let it happen!”

The reverse side of the flyer shows a close-up of a map released by the Department of Transport, which shows the location of the tunnel under Amersham.

Meanwhile, a resident has called for a parish council to make their position on the plans clear after they declined to comment at a meeting this week.

Hughenden Parish Council agreed on Tuesday they would need to be obtain a dispensation before they could make comment.

But resident Jill Armshaw said: “I am frankly appalled if the position you are taking here is it is too early for you to discuss this in full council and to come up with a Hughenden Parish Council position.

“I see sitting there the newsletter of 'The Link', which is the newsletter of Missenden Parish Council. They had an emergency meeting on March 22. They have made a stance.

“You need to get on board now to show your residents you care and you're supporting them. I believe your position will be against this. I believe Hughenden Parish council needs to get with everyone else on this.”

An alternative route for the high speed link to the favoured option would cross the Hughenden Valley over a series of viaducts.

But council chairman Peggy Ewart said: “There is no harm in the interim in making a request of dispensation to discuss it in a more open way.

“There is no problem listening to people as long as we don't make our views too clear too soon. We don't have the information yet.”

· Do you know who has created the campaign leaflet? Contact our newsdesk on 01494 755084 or acarswell@london.newsquest.co.uk.