Ulez: More than 300 cameras damaged or stolen in four months

More than 300 cameras installed for London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) were vandalised oregon stolen betwixt April and mid-August, the BBC tin reveal.

Over 4 months, the Met received 339 reports of camera cables being damaged, oregon cameras being stolen oregon obscured.

The existent fig of cameras affected is apt to beryllium adjacent higher arsenic 1 study tin correspond aggregate cameras.

Unofficial information mapping the determination of disabled cameras suggests that astir 500 cameras could person been affected.

It besides suggests that the immense bulk person been successful outer London wherever the portion is being expanded.

Some 1,900 cameras person been installed successful outer London truthful far.

Despite truthful overmuch harm being caused, 1 antheral has truthful acold been charged by police.

Scotland Yard has present released an representation of a antheral detectives are trying to hint successful transportation with 4 offences successful Hillingdon, Harrow and Uxbridge connected 17 June.

Det Supt Daniel Smith, the detective starring the cognition targeting those disabling cameras, said the Met was "proactively targeting those who we fishy of causing damage", and called the vandalism "unacceptable".

The unit has not revealed the locations of immoderate of the disabled cameras, but Chris Brown, a Greenwich nonmigratory who is opposed to the Ulez expansion, has been utilizing third-party reports to way the locations and harm caused to cameras.

The representation shows determination are 1,619 cameras extracurricular the North and South circular roads with 461 of those reported arsenic vandalised oregon stolen - equating to 28% of the Transport for London's (TfL) web cameras.

TfL is readying to instal a full of 2,750 cameras earlier the enlargement comes into unit astatine the extremity of August.

Speaking astatine Mayor's Question Time connected 20 July, Sadiq Khan said transport bosses were assured "there volition beryllium the aforesaid fig of cameras up connected 29 August that they had primitively planned" and that "there is nary request for Plan Bs, Cs oregon thing else".

The BBC visited 1 country successful south-east London wherever 7 cameras had precocious been damaged. Residents determination had mixed views.

Abbie Mires, who works successful the area, said the "harsh action" of targeting Ulez cameras was justified.

"It is criminal, but astatine the extremity of the time radical are trying to beryllium a constituent and nary 1 is listening. Old radical who've been utilizing their cars for years and years present person to halt driving due to the fact that they can't spend it," she said.

Other residents similar Sam Lockwood said damaging Ulez cameras was a "step excessively far".

"Maybe they deliberation they are Robin Hood characters trying to assistance others and if they privation to hazard it that's just enough. But I deliberation determination are amended ways to combat the system," helium said.

Husband and wife, Roy and Linda McKensie had to get escaped of 2 cars up of the Ulez expansion, but said they did not hold with cameras being tampered with.

"It's transgression enactment whichever mode you look astatine it. And I don't hold with that," said Roy.

His woman Linda added: "I cognize things are awkward. I cognize things are frustrating. But if it each ends up getting lawless it's not going to work."

A spokesperson for TfL said: "Criminal harm to the cameras puts the perpetrators astatine hazard of prosecution and life-changing injuries, portion simultaneously risking the information of the public."

When the BBC asked TfL and the mayor's bureau astir the costs of vandalism it was told that "due to commercialized and confidentiality reasons, it cannot stock the portion outgo of cameras, oregon for repair of cameras".

The lone fig the BBC has seen was an estimation outgo of the planned enlargement from November 2022, which was astir £159.5m based connected assumptions astatine that time.

This includes walk for systems design, improvement and testing; on-street infrastructure design, procurement and transportation including camera installation and signage; selling and media campaign; and ineligible and consultation costs.