Chris Philp, the Minister for Policing and MP for Croydon South, has been revealed as a member of a social media group where some members openly applaud the vandalism
of Ulez cameras. This Facebook group, known as "Croydon Say No to ULEZ Expansion," has gained attention for having six administrators, one of whom is listed as Croydon's mayor, Jason Perry.
The group, comprising over 2,000 members, contains posts that endorse acts of vandalism against Ulez cameras, which were installed to enforce the recently expanded ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) covering outer London. Under the London Labour mayor's controversial clean-air initiative, drivers are required to pay a daily charge of £12.50 to operate non-compliant vehicles within the zone.
While Chris Philp, a Conservative MP, disapproves of Ulez, he firmly condemned criminal damage inflicted on the cameras. He stated that he cannot be held responsible for the content posted by other group members and has already publicly expressed his opposition to such acts.
The group rules explicitly discourage posts or comments that encourage the vandalism of Ulez cameras, despite multiple pictures of vandalized cameras and posts supporting further acts of vandalism being present in the group.
Figures from the Metropolitan Police reveal that between April 1 and the end of August this year, at least 510 Ulez cameras were either stolen or vandalized, with the majority of incidents occurring in outer London. The Metropolitan Police has allocated a significant amount of resources to combat Ulez camera-related crimes, according to Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent North, expressed deep concern over the situation, urging the police minister and the mayor of Croydon to take immediate action to shut down the Facebook group, issue apologies, and unequivocally condemn any criminal activities or damage.
A spokesperson for London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, emphasized that while people have the right to peacefully and lawfully express their opposition to policies, promoting or causing criminal damage is unacceptable. All instances of Ulez camera vandalism are reported to the police for investigation, and both the Metropolitan Police and TfL are employing new methods to apprehend those responsible. Photo by Richard Townshend, Wikimedia commons.