A RADIO DJ threatened to call the police after being woken up by HS2 contractors clattering manhole covers about outside his front door in the middle of the night.

Robert Elms, a BBC talkshow host, said two men in full “orange space suits” told him they were working for the Government’s £56billion HS2 project when he confronted them in “torrential rain” at 2.30am.

Mr Elms, who lives in Albert Street, Camden Town, said: “They were rude and uncooperative, refusing to give any details and left when I threatened to call the police. Is this happening elsewhere? This is surely not legal.”

He added: “My wife was genuinely worried that it could be terrorist activity. The guys concerned refused to give names or any official papers.”

HS2 has confirmed that two men were in Albert Street in the middle of the night. The work will be going on across Camden Town and Euston during the night for “traffic safety reasons”.

Mr Elms said the men were dressed “head to toe” in “whole space suits” with visors and heavy-duty gloves. 

HS2 confirmed they were checking utilities around Euston through Camden Town and Primrose Hill ahead of a proposed 17 years of construction works which start in 2017.  HS2 argues it is better doing the works in the dead of night than disrupting traffic in the day. 

Mr Elms said he had “no letters, no warning – just two men in the dead of night” and warned that his experience could be the shape of things to come.

Much of the HS2 construction – particularly around the train tracks running through Mornington Crescent, Hampstead Road and Euston – will be done during the night because HS2 is under strict orders not to disrupt the east coast railway line during the day. 

A HS2 spokesman said: “Contractors working on behalf of HS2 have been doing some standard surveying of utilities in the Euston area as part of our preparation for the construction of the HS2 station.

“Some of this work, which is very similar in nature to that routinely carried out by utilities companies and should not disrupt residents, takes place at night for traffic safety reasons. 

“Every effort is made to minimise disruption and, in the event of a complaint, work is immediately stopped. We apologise to residents who may have been disturbed by this work and advise anyone who has a complaint to contact the HS2 helpdesk on 0207 944 4908.”