A so-called ‘Blade Runner’ has been caught on video chopping two Ulez cameras in the latest act of sabotage to strike the Mayor of London’s environmental scheme.
The vandal uses a tree lopper to remove the camera.
The shadowy figure ignores the crowd filming him and walks on before repeating the procedure on another Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera.
It is unknown what area or time the act of vandalism took place.
It came as more than a dozen Ulez enforcement cameras are vandalised or stolen every week, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Last week The Standard spoke to an army veteran on a hunger strike until the Ulez scheme is revoked completely.
The current estimated total cost to supply and install the ANPR cameras and associated supporting infrastructure for London wide ULEZ is in the range of £45-50m
With just weeks to go until the clean air zone is expanded to the Greater London boundary, the Met said it is investigating multiple reports of vigilantes attempting to sabotage Transport for London’s equipment.
The theft of 11 Ultra Low Emission Zone cameras and 17 incidents of vandalism were reported to detectives between July 21 and August 1. At least eight in Chiswick have had their wires cut in recent weeks by so-called “Blade Runners”.
It follows a spate of attacks earlier this year – with two men being charged with criminal damage in May.
The equipment uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to identify the most polluting vehicles vehicles, that will face a £12.50 daily charge when the Ulez expands to outer London on August 29.
TfL contractors still have almost 1,000 cameras to install before the scheme goes live, while having to contend with vandalism and opposition from some councils to having them erected on local roads.
A City Hall spokesman told the Standard they were “confident” all of the necessary infrastructure would be in place by the end of the month.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said the controversial decision to expand the Ulez “wasn’t easy”, but “we must do everything we can to save the lives of Londoners and protect them from the dangers of toxic air”.
