HS2 Night‑Shift Gun Incident Sparks Police Probe and Employee Dismissals Video footage of HS2 workers firing an air rifle during a late‑night shift has triggered a police investigation, led to the dismissal of five employees, and reignited concerns over safety and management on the £100 billion rail project. The whistleblower alleges misconduct, xenophobic harassment and unsafe working conditions, while a past on‑site explosion and ongoing project delays add to the controversy. Extraordinary video footage captured by a five‑minute long time‑lapse sequence shows mechanics on the HS2 (High Speed 2) construction site in West Ruislip, London, firing a powerful air rifle within a workshop after midnight. Whistleblower Captures Air Rifle FootageThe recorded footage, taken by a whistleblower and whistle‑blower Aminadab Enos de Souza Dias, 42, shows workers repeatedly aiming the rifle at a target while heavy metal music blares in the background. In the video the mechanic in charge of operating the weapon, Keith Mewes, is heard using the gun and a second unnamed man also appears to be firing the rifle. The weapon in question is a .22 calibre Stoeger X20 S2 Suppressor Combo Air Rifle.The incident followed a series of safety concerns raised by Dias, who worked as a fitter mate for the HS2 contractor, SCS. In addition to the air rifle footage, Dias submitted a detailed dossier that included photographs of colleagues sleeping during their shift, estimated to have lasted more than two months during the spring of 2025. Dias also reported verbal abuse, xenophobic comments, intimidation and other forms of workplace harassment.Worker Reports Weapon Smuggled to SiteAccording to Dias, he was dismissed from his job for suggesting a safer work environment. Concern over the situation escalated when Dias emailed the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in October 2025 to warn that the rifle had been smuggled onto the West Ruislip site, which is under construction for a tunnel that remains 8.4 miles long. The letter was forwarded to the Ministry of Transport, prompting the Rail Minister, Lord Anthony Hendy, to respond personally.Lord Hendy stated that one worker had been dismissed and four other individuals had been removed permanently from HS2 work. The HS2 boss, Mark Wild, was also notified. Following a police inquiry, the British Transport Police launched an investigation. According to the Police Directorate, the probe was closed after it was established that the suspected rifle was no longer on site.HS2 Overhauls Safety After Explosion AllegationsHS2 subsequent statement said the incident was "unacceptable and isolated" and that the firm had taken steps to overhaul health and safety processes, increase on‑site searches, and appoint new leadership for the contractor SCS. Separately, there was an explosion at the same West Ruislip site in July 2024. CCTV footage released by the reporter shows workers wearing bright orange safety vests being shaken by a powerful blast as they attempted to repair a leaking cement pipe.Four workers were taken to the hospital but, according to an HS2 spokesperson, no major injuries were reported. In a statement, HS2 said they took corrective action, improved safety procedures and concluded the explosion was caused by a compressed air line. Despite these actions, the revelations have reignited public scrutiny over HS2's remaining timeline.Costs and Delays Fuel HS2 ScrutinySince its costs ballooned from £37.5 billion in 2009 to more than £100 billion today, the rail project has become synonymous with wasteful spending, poor management and delays. Services will not reach central London until at least 2040. The already controversial HS2 project has now faced new allegations that workers used weapons on site, were engaged in unsafe behaviour such as sleeping during their shifts, faced discriminatory verbal abuse and were smuggled into dangerous tools.Parliament, the government, the Transport Minister, the British Transport Police and the HS2 contractor have all replied that they are addressing the incidents and have taken safety and procedural changes. Clarke says the incident arose over 18 months ago and has been dealt with by dismissal and action against the safety system to hopefully prevent it from happening again. The subject of over‑expenditure and irregular safety reporting, HS2 has been under intense focus from the public and politicians.Highlights include the resignation of HS2's chief design engineer in 2023, the costly overhaul programme, and a continual rise in cost estimates. Combined with the worker misconduct allegations and the earlier 2024 explosion, the new incident will further amplify the pressure on the government to clarify the future of the high‑speed railway. The entire saga illustrates the significant operational and human risks associated with large scale infrastructure projects.The government's request to proceed with the public endeavour must be balanced with appropriate safety measures, fair worker treatment and project accountability. The public and politicians will likely scrutinise again both the contractors and the HS2 management structures, while the media will likely keep a close eye on any future safety incidents and the speed of compensation and expiration procedures.