A man who destroyed a roadside ULEZ camera with a homemade explosive device has been convicted after the blast damaged a child's bedroom 28 meters away.
The incident represents an escalation in the ongoing resistance to London's Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion. According to Gauk Motor Buzz, the explosion not only obliterated the enforcement camera but sent shrapnel and debris into a residential property where a child sleeps.
ULEZ cameras enforce London's emission standards by automatically photographing vehicles that fail to meet pollution requirements. Owners of non-compliant cars face daily charges of £12.50 to drive within the zone. Since the program expanded to outer London boroughs in 2023, vandalism of the cameras has become widespread.
Self-styled "Blade Runners" have claimed responsibility for disabling hundreds of cameras through spray paint, cutting, and removal. The nickname references the dystopian film, positioning the vandals as rebels against government surveillance.
This case crossed from property damage into public endangerment. Prosecutors argued the homemade bomb created a explosion powerful enough to throw debris nearly 30 meters, directly threatening nearby residents. That a child's bedroom absorbed the impact underscored the reckless nature of the attack.
The defendant now faces potential prison time. Courts have increasingly treated ULEZ camera vandalism as serious criminal behavior rather than political protest, particularly when methods endanger the public.
Transport for London has spent millions replacing destroyed cameras while anti-ULEZ activists argue the charges unfairly punish working-class drivers who cannot afford compliant vehicles. The debate over emission zones versus personal freedom continues across British cities considering similar schemes.
One child's near-miss with flying metal just made the argument considerably more dangerous.
