Lowestoft mayor reassured covered-up Banksy will not be sold

The mayor of a town that has a mural painted by Banksy said he had been reassured it had not been covered up in order for it to be removed.

The seagull on the side of a house in Lowestoft, Suffolk, appeared in August 2021.

Last month scaffolding and covers appeared at the wall, leading to concerns it would be taken down.

Lowestoft mayor Alan Green said he was "very encouraged" about its future after speaking to builders at the home.

The mural, painted on the house on the corner of Denmark Road and Katwijk Way, was one of three painted in Lowestoft as part of the street artist's Great British Spraycation collection across Norfolk and Suffolk.

It was originally painted next to a skip containing strips of insulation to represent chips, but that was removed to deter fly-tipping.

After being told by builders the work was to stabilise the wall, Mr Green said he was "really pleased".

He said it was "very disappointing" another of the artist's works in the town, featuring a child with a crowbar, had been removed and was believed to have been sold.

"We've had people contact us worried about the loss of this Banksy wall," the mayor said.

But he said after his discussions with those working on the house, he was "very encouraged [the owner] is going to look after it".

"The next step will be when the scaffolding comes down and if it's still there," he added.

Many of the surviving pieces have been protected by UV-stabilised polycarbonate screens to prevent them fading with exposure.

East Suffolk Council said as far it was aware the scaffolding and covers were for work on the building.

The BBC has tried to contact the building's owner for comment.

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