Kensington and Chelsea's nine noise cameras went off 1,386 times in August and September, leading to 334 £100 fines. The loudest car hit 113.7 decibels.

Kensington and Chelsea’s roadside noise cameras caught drivers revving and racing 1,386 times in August and September, and the council has issued 334 fines on the back of them. The loudest vehicle measured 113.7 decibels, which the council compares to a rock concert or a hammer drill.

The figures cover 1 August to 30 September 2026 and come from the borough’s nine acoustic cameras: an average of about 23 activations a day across the summer (council release). Each fine is a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.

How the cameras work

An acoustic camera pairs a sound meter with a camera. When a passing vehicle goes over the noise threshold, it records the event, and the council says its officers then review that evidence and use it to take enforcement action. That means, in the council’s words, nuisance driving “can be caught at any time of the day or night”, whether or not an officer is in the street.

The council has put footage from the cameras on YouTube so residents can hear what sets them off:

Footage from Kensington and Chelsea's acoustic cameras. Video: supplied by Kensington and Chelsea Council
Bar chart: Kensington and Chelsea's nine acoustic cameras recorded 1,386 activations between 1 August and 30 September 2026, and 334 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued.
Activations against fines, August and September 2026. Chart by The Kensington Post
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Not every activation became a fine: 334 notices from 1,386 activations is roughly one in four. The council’s release does not say why the rest were not pursued, or which streets the nine cameras are on.

What the council says

Cllr Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Resident Services, Planning and Enforcement, said:

“Imagine trying to sleep, settle your children or simply relax at home with noise comparable to a rock concert or a chainsaw suddenly erupting outside your window. That gives you some idea of what residents can be subjected to when drivers decide to rev their engines or race through our streets.

“One vehicle was recorded at almost 114 decibels, and our cameras were being triggered around 23 times a day over the summer. These are shocking numbers and they show exactly why we have invested in these cameras.

“They allow us to catch nuisance driving even when an officer isn’t present, and more than 330 fines in two months shows we are acting on the evidence. Our message to drivers is simple: you’ll pay the price if your vehicle unnecessarily disturbs our residents.”

Where this started

Kensington and Chelsea says it was the first council in the country to pilot its own acoustic cameras, in 2020, after residents complained about noisy vehicles in Sloane Street and Pont Street. During that first pilot the cameras were triggered almost 2,000 times, according to the council.

The cameras now sit alongside a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order, which bans engine revving, rapid acceleration, racing and vehicle stunts where they cause a public nuisance. Breaking it can bring the £100 fine.

This summer the council also secured a High Court injunction with Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police against late-night car meets affecting parts of the borough. We reported on the weekend in August when police seized 90 cars worth more than £8m days after that order was made.

What it means for you

  • If a car or motorbike is revving, racing or doing stunts outside your home, that behaviour is covered by the borough’s Public Spaces Protection Order, and the cameras can record it without anyone on the street.
  • For drivers: a single loud rev past a camera can now mean a £100 fine, day or night.
  • For other road news, see our weekly roadworks and travel page.