Ulez 'Blade Runners' strike again trashing mobile enforcement van

Ulez ‘Blade Runners’ strike again: Mobile enforcement van is smashed up and left with flat tyres in ongoing war against Sadiq Khan’s crackdown on motorists

• The Metropolitan Police is now investigating the latest London Ulez van attack  

Anti-Ulez ‘Blade Runners’ have ramped their campaign of vandalism trashing yet another one of Sadiq Khan’s mobile ‘spy’ vans used to enforce London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. 

Activists opposed to Mr Khan’s flagship policy – which last month expanded to cover the entire city – have already attacked hundreds of cameras prompting the London Mayor to roll out a fleet of vehicles to catch those flouting the rules.

But these too have become a target, with Blade Runners slashing their tyres, spray painting cameras or blocking the vans in with large vehicles. 

Pictures have now emerged of one of the vehicles having had its windows and windscreen smashed, in the latest escalation by activists determined to thwart Mr Khan’s much-hated levy. 

The vans are equipped with ANPR cameras which scan the number plates of passing cars to detect if cars meet London’s emissions standards, with drivers being billed £12.50 if their vehicles don’t meet the required levels.

The van was trashed by vandals in the latest attack against Ulez mobile enforcement vehicles in London 

Video footage showed  the passenger windows and windscreen of the van had been smashed 

The Metropolitan Police is now investigating the vandalism after footage of the damage appeared online 

In the latest attack, filmed in a London road, the white Ulez van had both passenger windows smashed in, with three cracks on the windshield also visible, putting the van out of action. It also appeared to have a deflated tyre. 

Video footage of the vandalism was shared on Facebook with the caption ‘The Bladerunners are not backing down’, with anti-Ulez campaigners mocking the criminal damage, hailing the vandalism as ‘amazing work’.

READ MORE: That’s one way to beat the ULEZ crackdown! ‘Blade Runner’ is hailed a ‘hero’ for ‘pretending to break down in front of enforcement van to block camera’s view of the road and stop it catching motorists’

But the incident is now being investigated by the Metropolitan Police, with the force today hitting out at the anti-Ulez vandals. 

A spokeswoman from the Met told MailOnline: ‘We are aware of reports of damage to ANPR vans and are investigating. The Met has and 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.

‘We are aware of posts on social media referencing Ulez cameras and techniques to disable them. If a report is made to police that someone has vandalised a camera, it will be investigated.’

Last week, videos emerged showing Blade Runners wrecking one of the Ulez vans in Maiden Lane, Crayford, plastering it with graffiti and slashing its tyres. 

The same van was also pictured wrapped in a huge blue bag covering it down to the wheels. 

It was posted with the message: ‘Can we all send our thoughts and prayers to this poor ULEZ spy van that’s looking rather… deflated.’ 

Anti-Ulez campaigners have turned their fire on mobile camera vans trying to enforce the rules, by letting down the tyres and 

One social media post showed a van being towed away on a recovery truck

The camera vans have been deployed as hundreds of static cameras have been reported damaged or missing

Meanwhile, terrified road workers have resorted to making crude handmade signs in an apparent bid to not be targeted by Blade Runners. 

Although the mobile cameras can only detect incompliant vehicles while stationary, they can move between boroughs to be deployed at hotspots including near Heathrow airport.

READ MORE: Road workers resort to sticking crude handmade signs to their vehicles to ‘avoid being targeted by anti-ULEZ vandals’

People who drive in the zone with a non-compliant vehicle and fail to pay the £12.50 daily fee are initially being sent warning letters.

In the coming weeks Transport for London (TfL) is expected to start issuing rule-breakers with £180 fines, which will reduce to £90 if paid within 14 days.

A TfL spokesman added: ‘Vandalism is unacceptable and all incidents on our network are reported to the police for investigation.

‘Criminal damage to Ulez cameras or vehicles puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and injury, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public.

‘Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez operating London-wide.

‘All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

‘We have an extensive camera network which is sufficient to support the effective operation of the scheme.

‘Anyone driving a non-compliant vehicle within the expanded zone will be detected and we advise everyone to check whether their vehicle is compliant and to consider the various support that is available to help transition to greener modes of transport.’

Passerby Chris Thorn spotted a highway maintenance truck parked on double-yellow lines in Biggin Hill in Bromley on Monday morning with a ‘NOT ULEZ’ sign hastily attached to the vehicle

Last week, a set of Dartford traffic lights was completely cut in half in an anti-ULEZ attack 

The Ulez zone expanded to include all of Greater London at the end of last month

Hundreds of Ulez cameras across the capital have been damaged by vigilantes, who have cut wires on the equipment and sprayed the lenses with paint

Anti-Ulez campaigners, known as the Blade Runners, claim to have disconnected or destroyed at least 500 of the 2,700 static cameras

The situation comes after another so-called ‘Blade Runner’ was been hailed a ‘hero’ online after taking a mobile camera van out of action by pretending to breakdown in front of it. 

The activist filmed himself parking his red Renault Captur directly behind an enforcement van in London and opened his car boot as if he was in need of roadside assistance – while also placing a warning triangle on the ground.

But the positioning of the car directly behind the automatic number plate camera on top of the van meant it could not catch rule-breakers of the much-hated Ultra Low Emission Zone scheme in the capital. 

Blade Runners have also been boxing the vehicles in with larger vans to prevent the cameras from scanning the road.  

Footage of the latest tactic to obscure the view of the vans has since notched up more than a million views on TikTok. It shows a Ulez security car pulling up at the scene before a furious official steps out and confronts the activist. 

‘Look, look, look – you can’t put this in front of the camera,’ the security guard is heard shouting in the video.

The activist replies: ‘Why not?’ as he insists he ‘just broke down – got to call the RAC’.

The man filmed himself parking his ‘broken down’ car behind a Ulez enforcement van, raising the vehicle’s boot up to obscure the van’s camera 

With the car’s boot raised, the mobile van’s ANPR camera, which spots rule-breakers, was blocked 

The man’s actions, which have since gone viral online, left a Ulez official visibly frustrated

Attempting to free up the camera’s line of sight, the Ulez worker and guard close the man’s car boot, prompting him to say: ‘I’m allowed to do it mate, I’m letting motorists know that the car has broken down, alright?’

He adds: ‘Leave my car alone, take your a– out of the way of my car.’

When the security guard insists that he pushes the car out of the Ulez camera’s path, the activist fires back and says: ‘No, you ain’t pushing jack s***.’ 

The man’s actions were praised online, with one person saying: ‘Brilliant from this man what a hero.’ Another added: ‘Well done blade runners we thank you for your service.’ 

While a third person commented: ‘Bless you. The world needs more people with such courage. Standing up for the common people.’ 

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