A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after deliberately detonating a homemade explosive beside a ULEZ camera in south-east London, causing extensive damage to nearby vehicles and properties.
Kevin Rees, of Sidcup, was convicted of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property. The court determined that the offence had a terrorism connection, resulting in the 15-year sentence.
He was also sentenced to three years for possessing three prohibited stun guns, with that sentence ordered to run concurrently.
The incident happened on December 6, 2023, shortly after a ULEZ camera had been installed on Willersley Avenue. Investigators from Counter Terrorism Policing London established that Rees had driven from his home in a Smart car to nearby Shuttle Close at about 6:20pm.
According to evidence presented at Woolwich Crown Court, Rees walked from his vehicle to the camera carrying a homemade explosive. He planted the device, lit a fuse and quickly left the area.
The resulting blast caused significant damage despite leaving nobody injured.
A van parked opposite the camera was damaged, while the tyre of another vehicle was blown out. Shrapnel penetrated a passing car and struck the bottom of a passenger seat.
The explosion also damaged a wall, front porch, shed and children’s playhouse. One piece of metal travelled more than 100 metres, striking the window frame of a child’s bedroom.
Police said the consequences could have been far more serious. CCTV footage from a passing bus showed the vehicle narrowly avoiding debris from the blast.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in Bexley, said it was ‘miraculous’ that nobody was killed or seriously injured.
He said Rees had demonstrated a disregard for public safety because of his opposition to the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scheme.
The investigation intensified after forensic examination of remnants recovered from the scene established that black powder had been used in the device.
Counter Terrorism Policing London officers arrested Rees on December 18, 2023, before searching his home.
Among the items discovered was a sealed package containing aluminium powder and a separate quantity of iron oxide. Investigators said both substances could be used in low-explosive compositions.
Police also recovered materials from his loft indicating his interest in chemicals that could be used to manufacture explosives.
His digital activity provided further evidence. Detectives found social-media posts in which Rees repeatedly discussed ULEZ cameras and encouraged their destruction.
Investigators also discovered a photograph on his phone showing the Willersley Avenue camera being installed on the day of the explosion. The photograph was deleted the following day.
Other deleted material included screenshots of social-media posts about the blast and a photograph taken at the scene while emergency services were responding.
The camera targeted by Rees had itself been cut down earlier on the day it was installed, although police established that the earlier incident was unrelated to his attack.
The individual responsible for cutting down the camera was subsequently identified and convicted during the same investigation.
Police said Rees’s actions went significantly beyond vandalism, given the explosive force involved and the potential danger to motorists, pedestrians and nearby residents.
The court also heard that three homemade stun guns were recovered from Rees’s address. A jury subsequently convicted him on three counts of possessing prohibited weapons.
At sentencing, the judge commended the investigation team for its work in establishing Rees’s role in the attack.
Derham said the case demonstrated the potentially severe consequences of using homemade explosives and stressed that damaging public infrastructure could put members of the public at serious risk.
Rees was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, October 2, 2026, bringing the nearly three-year investigation to a close.