This is a peak inside the 'eerie' millionaire's row on the proposed HS2 line where mansions lie empty after homeowners sold up - for nothing.<br /><br />Whitmore Heath in Staffordshire has become a ghost town after HS2 purchased 35 properties in the rural hamlet - where the average property price was £600,000.<br /><br />The homes were compulsorily purchased by the Government, as the train line was due to pass underneath several multi million-pound mansions in the area.<br /><br />However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced at the Conservative Party conference that the West Midlands to Manchester line would be scrapped.<br /><br />Because people have moved out, remaining residents say the the empty properties have caused a range of issues - and revealed squatters now live in the houses.<br /><br />Edward Cavenagh-Mainwairing, 61, was born in the village and is the 33rd generation of his family to live there.<br /><br />He said that there is no longer a sense of community in the area - and claimed three properties are now used as cannabis farms.<br /><br />Mr Cavenagh-Mainwairing said: "When you walk around the area, it's a bit sad to see it all locked up and three houses are now used for cannabis. <br /><br />"There was a sense of community, but now there isn't.<br /><br />"HS2 has strengthened us all together in a way - because we are all suffering from it. <br /><br />"But hearing the news about it being scrapped made me feel numb, it's still not a victory because it's confirmation that it was a really bad decision. <br /><br />"It should have been stopped earlier - a lot of people's lives should have not been upset to the degree it has been."<br /><br />One security guard, who asked to remain anonymous, said they had been hired to guard the house as squatters have previously lived in the property. <br /><br />They even added that they've seen cults 'trying to break in' to the house, and that the religious group even tried to arrest the security guards.<br /><br />They said: "We've had cults trying to break in. <br /><br />"They would even try and arrest you."<br /><br />However, some residents actually like living in the village and think more people will move back to the area.<br /><br />Chris Shemilt, 65, moved to the area around five years ago with his wife, but is in the process of moving out of the village.<br /><br />However, he's said he 'doesn't see anything wrong' with the area and thinks the houses that were bought by the government, will go back on the market.<br /><br />Chris said: "I don't see anything wrong with it myself.<br /><br />"I think people will move back to the area, I think a lot of them were bought by the government - who bribed people to sell them. <br /><br />"I suspect they will go back on the market."<br /><br />Chris added that he believes the costs of HS2 were 'way too high' for it to have ever been done.<br /><br />The financial advisor said: "As far as I'm concerned, the costs were way too high for them to do it. <br /><br />"Quite simply - all they've got to do is run the train to Birmingham on the same line they've already got - which is quite a good line anyway.<br /><br />"If they slightly improve that line, then they can go straight through to Manchester."
