Laurence Fox arrested over Ulez camera damage threat

Actor Laurence Fox has been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to Ulez cameras.

The Metropolitan Police did not name him but said a 45-year-old man was also accused of encouraging or assisting offences to be committed.

A daily charge applies for driving in Ultra Low Emission Zone, commonly referred to as Ulez, if the vehicle does not meet emission standards.

Fox posted a video on social media as police searched his London home.

In it he said: "Look at how many coppers there are in my house... That, ladies and gentlemen, is the country that we live in."

The Reclaim Party, which he founded, posted on social media to confirm he had been arrested at his home and taken to a police station.

Later on Wednesday, the party said Fox had been released from custody and wanted "family and friends to know he is safe and well".

His arrest comes on the same day GB News announced Fox had been sacked from the network for his comments about a female journalist.

The expansion of Ulez has been a point of contention among politicians and the public. The Met is running an ongoing operation against damage to Ulez cameras.

Between 1 April and 30 September, there were 795 crimes recorded relating to the cameras, while there have been 200 reports of stolen cameras and 595 cases of damage to the cameras, the Met said. A Scotland Yard statement this week said: "The Met continues to treat criminal activity in relation to Ulez seriously and has deployed considerable resources to our operation."

Fox, who worked as a presenter on GB News, was suspended after he made remarks about a female political journalist, asking what "self-respecting man" would "climb into bed" with her.

GB News is being investigated by Ofcom after it received more than 8,000 complaints over the comments Fox made on Dan Wootton's show.

Wootton has also been suspended.

Fox, 45, first established a public profile as an actor, most notably in ITV's detective series Lewis. His extended family is closely associated with the acting profession and he is the son of actor James Fox.

In recent years he has become known as a right-wing political commentator and activist. He launched his own political party, the Reclaim Party, in 2020.

Fox's attempt to become London mayor the following year saw him finish sixth with 1.9% of the vote.