A retired engineer has been convicted of blowing up a ULEZ camera in south-east London as police said: “It was miraculous that nobody was killed”.
Kevin Rees, 63, was found guilty of causing an explosion likely to endanger life after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London.
Rees destroyed the ULEZ camera in Sidcup using a home-made bomb on December 6, 2023.
The Metropolitan Police said that the explosion using a metal cylinder filled with explosive powder damaged cars and property up to 100m away, including a child’s bedroom.
Shrapnel propelled into cars and homes and the force of the explosion caused nearby houses to shake.
Footage captured the moment the bomb was detonated as cars drove past the scene. Car alarms can be seen activating and motorists stopping amid the devastation.
Detective Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in the Bexley area, said: “It was miraculous that nobody was killed or seriously injured in the large explosion caused by Rees.”
Police said that Rees, of Harcourt Avenue, Sidcup, carried out the dangerous act, which endangered the welfare and safety of people both living in and travelling through the area, “all because he was unhappy with the ULEZ scheme.”
He added: “Damage of any kind is completely unacceptable, and this particular incident demonstrates the very serious consequences for those responsible when taken to this extreme.”
The ULEZ camera in question was installed earlier that day and had already been cut down by another individual who was later convicted.
Police said that the day of the explosion, Rees got out of his car, planted the device, lit a fuse and was seen by a witness walking quickly away from the scene.
The force of the explosion damaged a van opposite, a nearby wall, a front porch, a shed and a Wendy house and blew out the tyre of a nearby car.
Shrapnel travelled through a passing car, and a piece of metal was launched more than 100m through the air and damaged the window frame of a child’s bedroom. Despite the chaos caused by the explosion, thankfully, nobody was injured.
Rees was later identified as the suspect and arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing London officers on December, 18, 2023. Officers conducted a search of his home address, where they found explosive powders, as well as three homemade stun guns.
Rees had made several posts on social media about the ULEZ camera, where he promoted damaging them. A photograph of the camera in question was also found on his phone, which he had deleted the day after the explosion. Rees also had screenshots of his ULEZ camera Facebook posts, which he had also deleted.
Rees was convicted of three counts of having a prohibited weapon at Woolwich Crown Court. The force said he will be sentenced at a later date.
The ultra-low emission zone scheme (ULEZ) requires drivers to pay a daily charge based on how polluting the emissions from their vehicle are.
Cameras have been repeatedly damaged after the ULEZ zone was expanded to cover all of London in 2023.
They allow Transport for London (TfL) to monitor the cars that enter and exit the zone.
During the trial, Rees agreed with prosecutor Simon Denison KC that, at the time of the incident, he "strongly opposed" the Ulez scheme - and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
"I dislike him, dislike what he has done to London," the defendant said.
Rees told jurors he joined "anti-Ulez" Facebook groups and pages out of "boredom" and because it provided him with a sense of community.
Bethan David, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, said: “This was not an act of protest or momentary vandalism. This was a deliberate and dangerous attack involving a home made explosive device, carried out in a residential street and designed to destroy public infrastructure.
“Kevin Rees knowingly and intentionally placed an explosive device next to the ULEZ camera, lit the fuse, and retreated before the explosion, showing clear planning and an obvious disregard for the safety of others.
“Whatever his views on the ULEZ scheme, Kevin Rees crossed a serious line by constructing a home-made bomb and detonating it in a public place. It was pure chance that no-one suffered serious injury or worse.”
