Ulez protesters cover cameras with 'protected' bat boxes to thwart attempts to fix broken cameras

Ulez protesters cover cameras with 'protected' bat boxes to thwart attempts to fix broken cameras

WATCH: Anti-Ulez protesters attach bat boxes to camera across London

GB News
Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 26/03/2024

- 09:59

Updated: 26/03/2024

- 13:46

Protesters say they are 'positively contributing to London’s biodiversity and ecosystem'

Ulez vigilantes have attached bat boxes to cameras to deter engineers from fixed them in the latest push back against Sadiq Khan's expansion of the clean air zone.

The animal homes, which cost £10 each, have been spotted in Chessington, Kingston upon Thames and North Cheam.


Bat species are protected under law, so it can be an offence to disturb their homes.

Protesters say they are "positively contributing to London’s biodiversity and ecosystem".

Ulez camera

Ulez vigilantes have attached bat boxes to cameras to deter engineers from fixed them in the latest push back against Sadiq Khan's expansion

Getty/ PA

Between April and November last year, the Metropolitan Police recorded 220 reports of stolen cameras and 767 being damaged.

"A number of bat boxes are being put up across London by unknown sources," Kingsley Hamilton, of the Action Against Unfair Ulez online page, told The Sun.

"I’m sure whoever is behind it is extremely grateful to TfL for providing the poles to house this protected species.

"Sadiq Khan will not want to be seen to be tampering with their homes after claiming to care so much about protecting the environment."

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A TfL spokesperson said: “We will ensure our activities at this site comply with relevant legislation."

The Government body also warned that it is an offence to place appliances on its 3,700 cameras enforcing the £12.50 daily charge across London.

It follows further attacks on cameras last month when two were targeted with heat guns and electric saws.

One video showed a heat gun attached to a telescopic pole being used to melt the glass on one of the cameras, which scan vehicles to check their compliance with the Ulez scheme.

A Ulez signThe Ulez was expanded on August 29 PA

A voice in the video can be heard singing “frying some Ulez for breakfast… have some of that”, before saying “unlucky Mr Khan, here’s another one… gutted for you”.

The scheme has received widespread criticism for its unaffordability – and has led to the rise of the ‘blade runners’ like those seen in the videos above, who have taken extreme measures to obscure, damage or destroy the Ulez enforcement cameras.

The cameras utilise Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to enforce the scheme, and protestors’ efforts to take them down have let drivers escape fines.

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