A 63-year-old retired engineer has been jailed for 15 years after deliberately detonating a homemade bomb to destroy an Ultra Low Emission Zone camera in South East London.

Kevin Rees was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after being convicted of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property. During sentencing, the judge ruled that the offence was carried out with a terrorism connection. Rees must also serve an additional year on licence once his 15-year custodial term ends.

Alongside the main charge, Rees was handed a concurrent three-year sentence for three counts of possessing prohibited weapons after police recovered stun guns during their investigation.

The bombing occurred on 6 December 2023 in Shuttle Close, where a new ULEZ camera had been installed earlier that day. The court heard Rees travelled from Sidcup, approached the camera, and lit a fuse attached to a metal cylinder filled with explosive powder before a witness saw him leaving the scene quickly.

The detonation caused extensive damage to nearby parked vehicles and properties up to 100 metres away, with debris penetrating a child's bedroom.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads local policing in Bexley, said it was miraculous that no members of the public were killed or seriously injured by what he described as a large explosion.

Following an inquiry led by Counter Terrorism Policing London, officers arrested Rees on 18 December 2023. A search of his property uncovered a sealed postal package addressed to him containing aluminium powder, along with a plastic bag containing iron oxide. Detectives established that both materials are used to create low-explosive compositions.

Digital evidence gathered by investigators also linked Rees to the attack. According to police reports, he had posted repeatedly online encouraging people to damage ULEZ cameras. A photograph showing a camera being installed on Willersley Avenue on 6 December was found on his device, having been deleted the following day, alongside Facebook screenshots showing emergency services attending the aftermath of the explosion.

Detective Chief Superintendent Derham thanked the local community for their support and praised the joint work between counter-terrorism detectives and frontline Bexley officers, adding that he hoped the sentence sends a clear message about the severe consequences and dangers of using homemade explosives.