The Quiet Neighbour Turned ULEZ Bomber
To residents of a peaceful tree-lined street in suburban Sidcup, Bexley, Kevin Rees appeared to be a typical retired electrician. The 63-year-old, described by neighbours as a shy and quiet character, spent his career repairing domestic appliances and seemed to be enjoying his retirement. However, behind the lace curtains of his south-east London home, Rees was cultivating a dangerous online persona that would culminate in real-world violence.
From Keyboard Warrior to Bomb Maker
Operating under the username "Exterminator," Rees spent considerable time ranting about London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to outer boroughs including Bexley in 2023. What began as online agitation gradually escalated into physical action as Rees began constructing homemade weapons and explosive materials in his loft.
At 6.45pm on 6 December 2023, Rees lit the fuse on a homemade bomb that destroyed a ULEZ camera on Willersley Avenue, just four minutes' drive from his home. The explosion sent shrapnel flying 100 metres, damaging vehicles, blowing out a car tyre, splintering a window frame in a child's bedroom, and damaging a wendy house.
A Community Shocked by Hidden Extremism
"Any of us could have been hurt," said neighbour Sam, who declined to give her full name. "It just shows that you don't know what's going on in individual homes when someone in a quiet household was making a bomb inside. They've got a little Smart car, which would qualify for ULEZ, so I don't know why he did it."
This week at Woolwich Crown Court, Rees was found guilty of blowing up the ULEZ camera with an explosive device likely to endanger life. He was also convicted on three counts of possessing prohibited weapons. Bethan David, head of counter-terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, stated it was "pure chance that no one suffered serious injury or worse" and hoped the conviction would send "a clear message to other protesters considering taking the law into their own hands."
Online Radicalisation in Anti-ULEZ Communities
The case has emerged as a disturbing example of how online communities can radicalise individuals who might otherwise seem unlikely extremists. Despite the grave nature of Rees's crime and the threat it posed to passersby, including children, the attack has been openly celebrated in some online circles.
On social media platforms, comments praising Rees as performing "public service" and "doing the lords work" have garnered significant support, with one Facebook comment suggesting he should receive a medal receiving over 1,300 likes. When the CPS posted about the conviction on X, the responses included criticism of the prosecution and praise for Rees.
Political Responses and Community Concerns
Stefano Borella, leader of the Labour group on Bexley Council whose 76-year-old mother heard the bomb blast, expressed disappointment but not surprise at the online hero-worship. "Social media is the cesspit of humanity," he said, "but the silent majority would be very shocked by this, whatever their views of ULEZ. The problem is, Rees looked at anti-Ulez Facebook groups and was enthused by that behaviour."
Borella also criticised Conservative-led Bexley Council for failing to condemn the attack at the time, suggesting that such silence could be interpreted as tacit approval. "If this had been an Islamist attack," he noted, "there would have been protests and condemnation."
The Far-Right Co-option of Local Protests
Anti-racist group Hope Not Hate has raised alarms about how Rees was radicalised. Georgie Laming, the organisation's director of campaigns, explained: "The anti-ULEZ movement has for some time now been co-opted by the far right. Local residents join groups to protest traffic measures and are suddenly confronted with conspiracy theories, disinformation, and Islamophobia."
"It's very worrying to see this kind of acceleration," Laming continued. "This type of reckless sabotage goes well beyond any mainstream opposition to ULEZ. It's extremism."
Investigations Reveal Toxic Online Environments
In court, Rees claimed he joined anti-ULEZ groups because he was "bored" and looking for "a community." He denied the charges against him and blamed his arrest on "Facebook police." However, when confronted with his own Facebook posts against Khan and ULEZ, Rees admitted he was "strongly opposed" to the mayor, stating: "I dislike what he has done to London."
A 2024 investigation by Greenpeace's Unearthed team and the Observer examined a network of 36 private anti-ULEZ Facebook groups with 38,000 members. These groups, which included several local Conservative politicians, celebrated vandalism against ULEZ cameras by so-called blade runners and served as platforms for racism, Islamophobia, and conspiracy theories.
The investigation highlighted the Bexley group specifically, where members complained about Islamists taking over Britain and there were calls for Khan to be "taken out."
Vulnerable Older People in Toxic Online Spaces
John Oxley, associate fellow at the centre-right thinktank Bright Blue, believes Rees's case "deserves more attention." He observed: "We worry about young people online, but actually there's some vulnerable older people who spend a lot of time in some fairly toxic online spaces."
Oxley noted that vandalism against ULEZ and speed cameras is often treated in media coverage as "Dad's Army-ish" due to sympathy for the cause in certain press circles. "Considering this was a bomb going off in a suburb of London," he remarked, "the coverage has been remarkably light. If you've got these networks of people who've been radicalised and are stewing in this information environment, what could be next?"
Rees is due to be sentenced later this year, but the broader questions raised by his case about online radicalisation, community safety, and the intersection of local protests with extremist ideologies remain pressing concerns for London and beyond.
