A landlord has ripped down an entire wall featuring Banksy artwork and hidden it away after it added £200,000 to the empty shop’s value.
Removal experts took the brick and plaster sections out of the walls of the former electrical shop. They were then removed at the weekend.
The building had been on the market for £300,000 but saw its value leap by £200,000 after the work – which showed a child with a crowbar – in August.
The property owner decided to take down the artwork in Lowestoft (Suffolk).
Removal experts carefully removed the brick and plaster sections from the walls of the former electrical shop.
The building had been on the market for £300,000 but saw its value leap by £200,000 after the work – which showed a child with a crowbar – in August
The property owner decided that the artwork should be removed from Lowestoft in Suffolk.
Photographs show the yellow telehandler taking down graffiti from a wall. The walls were protected by wooden boards and a screen.
Workers then moved the slab to a truck that took it to another location.
The sale of the artwork at auction is unknown, although previous Banksy artifacts have sold for millions.
Locals furious at the removal of the art have attacked the owner. It was among 10 pieces that Banksy made as part of his ‘Great British Spraycation’ project along the east coast.
Photographs show the yellow telehandler cutting out graffiti on a section of wall. It was covered with wooden boards and screen.
The wall slab was then taken by workers to be loaded onto a truck that took it to an unspecified location.
Brandon Eames, a local resident described the removal of the statue as “stupidity” and “disrespectful”.
He stated, “Now being shipped off for public auction. This is awful. This is a terrible idea.
Matthew Cook stated: “Greed is a lack of understanding and respect. It is a joke and it should not have been permitted to remove a painting. This sets bad precedent.
Lynda Palmer wrote online: ‘So so sad x perhaps he will come back and do another one ****. However, it won’t disappear from.
Although it is not clear if the artwork will go under the hammer, previous Banksy pieces have brought in many millions.
The owner was criticized by furious residents for taking the art out. This artwork was among 10 made as part of Banksy’s ‘Great British Spraycation’ on the east coast.
Rob Hook, a taxi driver, told BBC that they had installed a lintel and cut the wall over it yesterday. Now they have [strengthened]He said that both with wood framing was used.
“Now, they are busy cutting around the wall…the entire section with the mural.
The building, which previously hosted Lowestoft Electrical, saw its market value jump from £300,000 to £500,000 after the Banksy artwork appeared.
East Suffolk Council reported that it had spoken with the landlord who confirmed that artwork would be removed.