A SENIOR House of Commons clerk has died in a 60ft suspected suicide plunge after being deluged by critics of HS2.
Civil servant Neil Caulfield, 51, is thought to have jumped from a sixth-floor balcony outside his flat and struck railings below.
As tributes were paid yesterday, police said his death in Brockley, South East London, was not thought to be suspicious.
Mr Caulfield was the first point of contact for members of the public with complaints about the controversial HS2 high-speed rail link.
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The Oxford-educated official, who lived with his partner, had been swamped with objections about the HS2 Bill, now before peers.
Campaign group Stop HS2 said he went out of his way to be “exceptionally helpful” and his death was a “significant shock”. Tory MP Christopher Chope, who worked with him, added: “It’s awful news — a bolt from the blue. He was just a lovely chap.”
John Benger, Clerk Assistant of the Commons, said: “He was a kind and dedicated friend and colleague. He will be greatly missed. On behalf of his friends, colleagues and family, we respectfully ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Police said a report on the death of Mr Caulfield, a senior clerk for five years, had been sent to the coroner.
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