Transport for London has announced that the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone will still go ahead despite vandalism of cameras around London.
Videos circulating on social media depict masked vigilantes cutting wires for cameras and removing them in protest of the upcoming expansion.
The so-called Blade Runners have been targeting the cameras for months with many in and around London unhappy with the decision to expand the scheme.
The Metropolitan Police reported that 185 cables had been damaged, 164 cameras had been stolen and 38 cameras were obscured.
The police handout of a man accused of tampering with a Ulez camera
Metropolitan Police
Transport for London said that people vandalising the cameras were putting themselves at risk of “severe life-changing injuries or death from electric shock”.
It added: “TfL is working closely with social media companies to identify the people featured in videos damaging Ulez cameras circulating online.
“Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez expanding London-wide on August 29.”
As part of the statement from TfL and the Met Police, a picture was released of a man accused of damaging cameras in Hillingdon, Harrow and Uxbridge on June 17.
In total, Transport for London will install 2,750 cameras around Greater London to detect non-compliant vehicles.
Commander Owain Richards of the Metropolitan Police said: “These are clearly unacceptable acts of criminality and we have a team of officers investigating and identifying those responsible.
“We are working closely with Transport for London and – alongside our investigation into offences already committed – we are supporting them to identify new ways to prevent further cameras from being damaged or stolen.”
Attempts have been made to make it harder for people to steal or damage the cameras around London.
This includes using black metal boxes around the cameras and providing extra protection for cables.
Drivers of vehicles that are older and more polluting will be hit with a £12.50 daily charge to drive inside the zone, which will be expanded to Greater London at the end of August.
TfL’s director of capital delivery Nick Fairholme said: “We urge the small minority of vandals who are damaging Ulez cameras to reconsider their actions.
“We have seen evidence of vandalism where cables have deliberately been left exposed so that anyone carrying out repairs would be killed or seriously injured. This is dangerous and reckless behaviour putting lives at risk.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Almost 400 cameras have been tampered with
PA
Data from the RAC found that more than 690,000 vehicles in the capital are likely to be non-compliant, with the figure not taking into account any vehicles driving into London from surrounding counties.
