New London Banksy apparently stolen as onlookers watch

Two men have been filmed taking it down

A man was filmed removing the artwork and then running away
Author: James DiamondPublished 22nd Dec 2023
Last updated 22nd Dec 2023

A new Banksy artwork in London, which the famous Bristol artist confirmed as his just a few hours ago, appears to have been stolen.

Photos were shared on the artist's Instagram earlier of three military drones painted on a STOP sign in the Peckham area, at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way, close to a zebra crossing.

Banksy has provided no explanation for the piece, with many taking it to be a comment on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Palestine.

However, just hours after it appeared on Instagram, two men have been filmed removing the sign from its stand, with one then running away with it.

At the end of the video a person can be heard saying "it makes me so annoyed," as the man runs off.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they've not been made aware of a crime being committed, but they say anyone with information should call 101.

The artwork was only confirmed as a Banksy for a few hours before a man in a red hooded top removed it

Reports suggest at least 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began bombing the territory, in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis.

The United Nations is due to vote on a ceasefire in the territory next week, having already done so once.

On that occasion the US vetoed the idea, saying it would benefit Hamas, while the UK abstained.

Every other nation on the UN Security Council supported the idea.

Banksy has installed some other pieces this year, including Valentine's Day Mascara, a mural weighing 3.8 tonnes, which appeared on the side of a house in Margate, Kent, on Valentine's Day.

The mural depicted a 1950s' housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, wearing an apron and yellow washing-up gloves, and throwing a man into a chest freezer.

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