Nearly 800 ULEZ cameras stolen or damaged in last six months

There have been 795 ULEZ related crimes in the last six months with hundreds damaged or stolen across London, according to the Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed 795 incidents of ULEZ-related crimes in the period from 1 April to 30 September (EPA)

The Metropolitan Police have reported 795 incidents of ULEZ-related crimes in the last six months with hundreds of cameras across London being damaged or stolen.

Updated figures from the Met include 200 cameras being stolen and 595 damaged.

The news comes after London Mayor Sadiq Khan expanded the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in August, to cover all London boroughs in a bid to help clear pollution in the capital. There have been mixed reactions to the policy across the city.

One 52-year-old man was arrested in Bexley last month on suspicion of criminal damage but has been bailed until 19 December finding further enquiries. The man was taken to a South London police station for questioning before being released on bail.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone was expanded to cover the entire city of London in August (PA)

The Met confirmed it was “part of an ongoing operation launched in May in relation to the criminal damage of ULEZ cameras.”

To date, Met investigations have led to the arrest of two other individuals, one charged and bailed for trial to June 2024 and the other discontinued by the CPS.

In a statement, they said: “The Met continues to treat criminal activity in relation to ULEZ seriously and has deployed considerable resources to our operation. Where there are possible lines of enquiry, local investigators will follow up using a range of investigative approaches including CCTV trawls, witness searches and an assessment of forensic opportunities.”

Protests against the policy took place last week (PA)

They warned that a recorded crime can included multple offences by the same individuals and they were eager to ensure a “proportionate approach was in place in relation to ULEZ-related crimes.”

Protests took place earlier today against the ULEZ policy, as activists camped in tents near the Mayor’s house. The policy means that cars that do not meet the required emissions standards now need to pay £12.50 a day to drive in the capital.

The charge will generally affect petrol cars made before January 2006 and diesel cars made before September 2015.

This article was amended on 9 October 2023. It previously stated that responsibility for expanding ULEZ lay with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but that was inaccurate. The expansion was down to London Mayor Sadiq Khan.