This is the moment a Ulez camera 'exploded' in south London - as a man on trial said 'can't remember' where he was during the incident.

Retired electrical appliances engineer Kevin Rees is accused of damaging the camera in Sidcup, southeast London using a low-sophistication, improvised explosive device (IED).

The 63-year-old defendant was captured on CCTV leaving his home in Harcourt Avenue at 6.25pm on December 6 2023 carrying a "bag of tools" 20 minutes before the explosion. "

He can then be seen returning at 7.05pm with the bag empty – but told jurors he has no recollection of his whereabouts during that time.

"It's almost a blank", he told the Woolwich Crown Court during cross examination on Wednesday. "

Rees had told counter terrorism police, following his arrest on December 18, that he had been at a friend's house on the evening of December 6.

But CCTV footage again showed Rees left his friend's home address mid-afternoon that day and did not return in the evening, jurors heard.

"I have seen the CCTV of his house and my house so, obviously, I was not at his," Rees said."

"But still, in my head, I was at his, for some reason."

Rees further told jurors the bag he was filmed carrying to his car contained tools required for a different job at another friend's house, but he would not disclose who.

Prosecutor Simon Denison KC also asked Rees about screenshots the defendant took after returning to his home on the evening of December 6.

He said that Rees took screenshots of local news sites coverage of a "loud bang" and comments on a local Facebook group about the explosion that had just taken place."

Rees deleted all these screenshots the next day, the court heard.

The defendant said he deleted the screenshots because he took them accidentally, as he often did since his Samsung Galaxy allowed him to take screenshots by swiping the screen.

"If you had actually checked, you would find that I have deleted dozens and dozens at the same time, but these are the only ones you printed out," he told the prosecutor."

Rees agreed with Mr Denison that, at the time of the incident, he "strongly opposed" the ULEZ scheme – and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan."

The defendant said: "I dislike him, dislike what he has done to London." "

The trial heard the Ulez camera had already been cut down by a man called Stephen Harwood-Stamper – who later pleaded guilty to criminal damage – at about 5.10pm on December 6 2023.

A different individual caused the camera to explode later on the same day, when it was already on the ground.

Rees previously told jurors he had never spoken to or heard of Mr Harwood-Stamper, and first learned of the explosion through a Facebook group for local news.

He is charged with one count of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, and three counts of possessing prohibited weapons.

The latter charges relate to "stun guns" the prosecution alleges were found at Rees's home address during a police search following his arrest."

Rees, however, denied the devices were stun guns and said he made them.

The defendant further told jurors he took "great pleasure" in "tinkering about with electrical devices" due to his professional background."

The trial continues.