EXCLUSIVE New ULEZ cameras with ‘elevated safety’ are rolled out with countermeasures to cease wires being lower – as TFL strikes again in battle in opposition to ‘Blade Runners’ who sabotage low-emission displays

Safety measures are being beefed up on ULEZ cameras in a battle to cease ‘Blade Runners’ from slicing wires, MailOnline can reveal right now. 

Footage and pictures have emerged on TikTok and Facebook of a black metallic field surrounding the cables in an obvious transfer to guard the wiring. 

A complete of two,750 new ANPR cameras are deliberate to be put in throughout the entire of London because the deadline date for Sadiq Khan‘s hated ULEZ growth looms. 

Thus far virtually 1,900 are in place, however it isn’t identified what number of have the brand new defence mechanism in place.  

The growth of the zone to cowl all Better London is a part of the Mayor of London’s bid to scale back air air pollution emitted by poisonous fumes from ‘older’ automobiles. It may see some drivers charged £12.50 a day – amounting to £4,562.50 for the yr.

However it has been met with fury by some, with a secret military of activists referred to as the Blade Runners declaring they won’t relaxation till each ULEZ digital camera within the capital has been eliminated or destroyed. 

By July, Transport for London (TfL) stated 200 of the cameras, being put in to catch motorists driving automobiles under the emissions requirements, had been stolen or vandalised.

Since then TfL has refused to replace the quantity on recommendation from the Met Police.

A black metallic field will be seen beneath the ULEZ digital camera in a single TikTok video as Transport for London beefs up safety in a bid to cease Blade Runners from snipping the wires 

A secret covert group has vowed to destroy or take away each single ULEZ digital camera ‘it doesn’t matter what’. If the Met Police ever did examine one of many incidents and a Blade Runner was discovered responsible of legal injury, they may land themselves in jail for as much as 4 years

The brand new safety measure by TfL (left) in comparison with when the primary batch of ULEZ cameras which have been put in (proper)

In response to MailOnline’s query in regards to the safety measure, a spokesperson for TfL stated: ‘Vandalism on our community is unacceptable and all incidents are reported to the police for investigation. 

‘We have now elevated the safety of the ULEZ cameras following additional incidents of vandalism and theft. 

‘The Met has been clear that that is vandalism of presidency property and is a legal offence which may result in prosecution.’

Solely yesterday the MailOnline completely published footage of a Blade Runner sabotaging two ULEZ cameras, considered exterior The Swan and Mitre pub in Bromley – reverse Bromley Magistrates’ Courtroom – the place the zone will broaden to. 

The London Borough of Bromley was one of many coalition of councils who unsuccessfully challenged Mr Khan’s plans within the Excessive Courtroom. 

A member from the key activist group will be seen within the video purposefully strolling into view and hoisting what seems to be a tree lopper within the air. 

The hooded masked determine then strolls in direction of the ULEZ digital camera connected to a site visitors mild and snips the cable.

One lady smoking a cigarette seems round on the dark-clothed determine earlier than carrying on together with her dialog, whereas a bearded man with sun shades on his head movies the vandalism on his telephone. 

The digital camera then pans to the left because the Blade Runner casually walks to a different ULEZ digital camera lower than 300 ft away and makes use of the gardening instrument to chop the wire which then will be seen dangling. 

The Blade Runners vowed in July they’d cease at nothing till that they had taken down every single one of the ULEZ cameras. 

That month an onlooker filmed a person calmly unscrewing one of the cameras because the hatred of the Mayor of London’s low emission scheme started to develop. 

Earlier this month, a Blade Runner climbed a lamppost and used a drill to tear down an enforcement camera in Bromley.  

The identical video appeared on the group London by Londoner’s TikTok web page on Saturday to backdrop music of ‘Legend’ by Marcos Yap. 

The viral video had been considered greater than 320,000 occasions and had greater than 19,000 likes and 1,900 feedback on the social media platform.

Many stated the Blade Runners are the ‘heroes we by no means knew we would want’ with some additionally calling for them to be given a ‘medal of honour’ and be nominated for King Charles’ Honours Checklist. 

Since April the covert group has been stealing and vandalising the Mayor of London’s ULEZ cameras.  

The group has been attacking ANPR cameras that catch out drivers utilizing high-polluting automobiles throughout the capital.

One of many secretive Blade Runners met MailOnline and vowed: ‘We’re going to take down each single one it doesn’t matter what’.

A Blade Runner was captured on video strolling as much as a ULEZ digital camera and snipping the cable. A pubgoer sits close by and smokes a cigarette as she seems at her cell phone

The activist from the covert group then casually walks to a different ULEZ digital camera close by and makes use of the gardening instrument to snip the cable

One man carries on together with his dialog because the vandalism is carried out within the background

Wearing a balaclava to guard his identification, the daddy in his mid-forties revealed he had stolen 34 ULEZ cameras himself however his group and others like them have taken down a whole bunch.

He advised MailOnline: ‘By way of injury it is far more than what [Khan and TfL] have acknowledged. It is no less than a few hundred.

‘Snipping, damaging with hammers, portray, disabling on a circuit degree and eradicating. They’re unbolted and they’re snipped. The instruments they use to put in them are those we use to take away it.’

Mr Khan has claimed the police take vandalism of ULEZ cameras ‘very critically’.

However when approached by MailOnline in April, the Met Police stated there was ‘no hint’ that they had ever investigated ULEZ cameras being broken or stolen.

The pressure stated it had by no means heard of it occurring earlier than.

A Met Police spokesman added: ‘Clearly there’s potential for the potential offences to be investigated as, as an example, legal injury or theft.’ 

A secret military is vandalising and stealing Sadiq Khan’s Ulez cameras. Two of the ‘Blade Runners’ beforehand confirmed MailOnline among the cameras that they had taken down

The controversial scheme is about to pressure Londoners to pay £12.50-a-day to drive within the capital from August 29 if their automobiles do not meet sure environmental requirements

Which means if the Met did examine one of many incidents and a Blade Runner was discovered responsible of legal injury, they might be jailed for as much as 4 years.

TfL stated it might not present particulars on what number of cameras have been being vandalised, as there may be ‘hazard of inadvertently giving [vandals] the oxygen of publicity,’ Mr Khan stated. 

Mr Khan admitted through the Mayor’s Query Time {that a} ‘small quantity’ of individuals had been vandalising the cameras and that two had been charged with vandalism offences, dealing with a courtroom hearings.

He stated: ‘Having taken recommendation from policing companions and others, TfL has taken the place that it’s going to not be releasing details about the variety of cameras which have been subjected to legal injury.’

As a means of attempting to dodge vandals, TfL had been utilizing ‘cherry picker’ lorries to position cameras out of attain of civilians.

This got here after various cameras erected on prime of site visitors indicators have been vandalised or eliminated by indignant Londoners.