Kevin Rees, a 64-year-old retired electrical appliances engineer from Sidcup, South London, has been jailed for 15 years after a judge ruled his improvised explosive device (IED) attack on a ULEZ camera had a "terrorism connection".
Rees detonated the device on Willersley Avenue in Sidcup at around 6.45pm on December 6, destroying the camera. The explosion caused damage to cars and property up to 100 metres away, and shrapnel struck the outside of a child's bedroom. Counter-terror police were called in to investigate.
Investigation and conviction
Investigators identified Rees, a prolific social media user who frequently posted anti-ULEZ content, as their prime suspect. He was convicted in January at Woolwich Crown Court on one count of causing an explosion likely to endanger life. He was sentenced on Friday, with the Metropolitan Police saying the judge ruled the incident had a "terrorism connection", meaning Rees received a tougher sentence and will be placed under strict controls when released from prison.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in the Bexley area, said it was "miraculous" no one was hurt. "It was miraculous that nobody was killed or seriously injured in the large explosion caused by Rees," he said. "He showed a complete disregard for the welfare and safety of the people who live in, or were travelling through, the area at the time of the explosion - all because he was unhappy with the ULEZ scheme. CCTV from a bus travelling down the road at the time shows how it narrowly missed the blast of debris by seconds."
Background to the attack
London's ULEZ scheme requires drivers to pay a daily surcharge based on how polluting their vehicle's emissions are. The zone now covers all 33 boroughs, following an extension in February 2023. Cameras are used by Transport for London (TfL) to monitor cars entering and exiting the zone, triggering fines for those who have not paid.
The extension was largely welcomed by Londoners but garnered controversy on social media, prompting a major crime wave. The Metropolitan Police recorded 987 crimes relating to ULEZ cameras just five months after the extension, including one incident that caused a road traffic accident which injured a child.
Trial details and sentencing
During the trial, Rees told the court he "strongly opposed" the ULEZ scheme and disliked London Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan and "what he has done to London". The jury heard that Rees travelled in his Smart car from his home to Shuttle Close shortly after 6.20pm on December 6, 2023. The ULEZ camera had been installed earlier that day but had been cut down by another individual, who was also identified and convicted. Rees walked from his car to the camera, planted the device, and lit a fuse, then was seen walking quickly away. He was arrested on December 18, 2023, and his home was searched.
Detectives analysed Rees's social media activity and found he had posted numerous times about ULEZ cameras and encouraged damaging them. Three homemade stun guns were found at his address, and he was given a three-year concurrent sentence after admitting three counts of having a prohibited weapon.
Rees denied all involvement, telling jurors he believed his arrest was linked to his participation in "anti-ULEZ" groups on Facebook, which he joined out of "boredom" and for a sense of community.
Official responses
Bethan David, former 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 homemade 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 homemade bomb and detonating it in a public place. It was pure chance that no-one suffered serious injury, or worse. The Crown Prosecution Service will always seek to prosecute dangerous offending of this nature and hopefully this conviction sends a clear message to other protesters considering taking the law into their own hands."
Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing and enforcement, said: "This was a reckless and highly dangerous act that could have caused serious harm and resulted in the loss of life. We welcome this sentencing and hope it acts as a warning to others. Tampering with or damaging TfL's property is unacceptable and seriously risks the safety of the public. Those attempting to interfere with ULEZ infrastructure show a complete disregard for the law." Hayward added that all vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible, and any incident on the network is reported to the police and will not stop the ULEZ operating.
