A 63-year-old man has been convicted of causing an explosion that damaged cars and properties up to 100 metres away after planting a home-made bomb at a fallen ULEZ camera in south-east London.
Kevin Rees, of Harcourt Avenue, Sidcup, was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of causing an explosion likely to endanger life and three counts of possessing prohibited weapons. The incident occurred on the evening of 6 December 2023 in Willersley Avenue.
According to Counter Terrorism Policing London, the device consisted of a metal cylinder filled with black powder explosive. The explosion was so powerful that a piece of metal travelled more than 100 metres, damaging the window frame of a child’s bedroom.
A van parked opposite the explosion site was damaged, while the tyre of a nearby car was blown out. Shrapnel fired through a passing vehicle, embedding itself in the bottom of the passenger seat. A nearby wall, front porch, shed and Wendy house also sustained damage.
Detective Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in the Bexley area, described the outcome as fortunate. “It was miraculous that nobody was killed or seriously injured in the large explosion caused by Rees,” he said.
The court heard that Rees travelled from his Sidcup home to Shuttle Close shortly after 6.20pm on the evening in question. Around 45 minutes later, he walked a short distance to the fallen camera, planted the device and lit the fuse. A witness saw him walking quickly away before the explosion occurred.
The ULEZ camera had been installed earlier that same day but was subsequently cut down by another individual, Stephen Richard Harwood-Stamper, in an unrelated incident. Harwood-Stamper was later convicted of criminal damage.
Following the explosion, CTP London officers arrested Rees on 18 December 2023. A search of his home uncovered a sealed postal package containing aluminium powder and a plastic bag with iron oxide – both substances that can be used for low explosive compositions. Officers also found items in the loft indicating an interest in explosive chemicals, along with three home-made stun guns.
Forensic analysis of Rees’s digital devices revealed extensive anti-ULEZ activity on social media. He had posted numerous times about ULEZ cameras and encouraged damaging them. His phone contained a photograph of the Willersley Avenue camera being installed, taken between 6 and 7 December 2023 but later deleted. Screenshots of Facebook posts from 6 December related to the explosion were also recovered, along with a photograph taken at the scene after the blast while emergency services were present. These images had been deleted on 8 December 2023.
Detective Superintendent Derham emphasised the recklessness of Rees’s actions. “He showed a complete disregard for the welfare and safety of the people who live in, or were travelling through, the area at the time of the explosion – all because he was unhappy with the ULEZ scheme,” he said.
The detective praised the work of his colleagues in securing the conviction. “His conviction has been possible due to the commitment and professionalism of our CTP London Detectives, supported by our frontline policing colleagues in Bexley,” he noted.
Upper Tribunal Judge Hirst will sentence Rees at Woolwich Crown Court at a later date.
Detective Superintendent Derham thanked the local community for their support during the investigation and warned of the serious consequences of using home-made explosives. “Damage of any kind is completely unacceptable, and this particular incident demonstrates the very serious consequences for those responsible when taken to this extreme,” he said.
