Laurence Fox has been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to damage Ulez cameras that have been placed around London to monitor road users.
The actor and politician says his London home was searched by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday morning in footage released by the Reclaim Party, of which he is a founding member.
The Met confirmed a 45-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to Ulez cameras and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed.
A spokesperson told the Mirror: “On Wednesday 4, October officers arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to Ulez cameras and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed. He was arrested in Stockwell and has been taken to a South London police station where he remains in custody.”
Footage of Fox was filmed as he claimed his property was being searched by police. In the video shared by the Reclaim Party, which was launched by the actor, he was seen sitting on a sofa as police worked around him.
In the video, Fox points around his home telling viewers: “Look how many coppers there are around my house”. The camera then pans around to show uniformed police officers wearing blue plastic gloves and holding clear plastic bags, which they appear to be putting items from Fox’s home into.
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) was expanded to cover the entire capital and beyond on August 29, 2023 and there have been concerns that the cameras were at risk of being vandalised.
The scheme, which aims to reduce air pollution in the city, requires drivers with non-compliant vehicles to pay a fee of £12.50 every time they drive around London.
To make the transition smoother, a long list of drivers and their vehicles have been given a grace period. Plus, a scrappage scheme was introduced to provide drivers with grants to replace their non-compliant vehicles with less polluting ones.
However, beyond these, those who continue to drive their non-compliant vehicles and don’t pay the charge will be spotted and fined using Ulez cameras.
Here is a comprehensive look at what we know about Ulez cameras and where they are located.
TODAY: in a move that will see five million more Londoners breathe cleaner air, the ULEZ has expanded to cover all of London.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) August 29, 2023
This was a difficult decision - but it's the right one to save lives.#ULEZExpansion #CleanAir pic.twitter.com/HXZb0MbexA
What are Ulez cameras?
Ulez cameras are the cameras used by Transport for London (TfL) across the capital. They allow TfL to monitor the cars that enter and exit the zone.
The cameras record drivers’ number plates, which then get checked against a database to see if the vehicle complies with Ulez rules. If it doesn’t, then the drivers get charged a daily fee of £12.50.
Unless they have prepaid for their journey, drivers are required to pay the charge within 21 days. The charge can be paid through the official TfL portal, by setting up a TfL autopay account or over the phone.
Those who fail to pay will be given a penalty charge notice (PCN).
When are the Ulez cameras on?
The Ulez cameras are constantly on, meaning they operate 24/7. The only exception is Christmas Day when there is no charge.
Ulez camera locations
Thus far, 1,775 Ulez cameras have been installed in London. TfL will continue to put more cameras up until it reaches its target of 2,750.
While the cameras aren’t able to cover all entrances and exits in the Ulez zone, TfL hasn’t disclosed which ones these are.
This website offers a camera map that displays where the known Ulez cameras are at the moment.
Why have Ulez cameras been vandalised?
One in four Ulez cameras across the areas that were included in the Ulez expansion have been targeted by vandals, according to the Telegraph.
Bromley was found to be the most affected borough, with data suggesting that 100 out of its 120 cameras were either missing or damaged.
Other boroughs where vandals appeared to have targeted high numbers of the cameras include Lewisham, Sutton and Bexley. The vandals are attacking the cameras because they disagree with the decision to expand the zone.
The Met Police has revealed that it is having to dedicate a “significant amount” of resources to tackling Ulez camera-related crime.
