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Lowestoft: Last section of Banksy seagull mural wall is removed

Garry Freeman Wall removed from houseGarry Freeman
The house wall which once had a Banksy artwork on it has been removed and placed in storage

The final section of a wall that held a Banksy mural has been removed from the side of a house.

The seagull mural, painted by the street artist, appeared on the building in Lowestoft, Suffolk, in August 2021.

In February, scaffolding and covers were put up - but the town's mayor, Alan Green, said he had been reassured it was not being removed.

New images show the entire side of the property on the corner of Denmark Road and Katwijk Way has gone.

The mural was one of three painted in Lowestoft as part of Banksy's Great British Staycation collection, which appeared in different locations across Norfolk and Suffolk.

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

Reuters gull muralReuters
The council previously said the artist's visit had a "hugely positive cultural and economic effect in East Suffolk".

Last month, the mayor said he had been reassured the wall had not been covered up in order for the mural to be removed and that work was being carried out to stabilise it.

Garry Freeman, of building firm Freeman Brickworks - which carried out the structural removal - said it had now gone into storage, "somewhere in the UK", but could not confirm whether it would be sold or included in any exhibitions.

A video showed part of the wall being craned out in the middle of the night last month.

The mural was removed with a crane on Tuesday night

A spokesperson for East Suffolk Council said the authority did not know what was happening to the wall, and whether or not it will join other removed Banksy murals which will be going on show in Suffolk from June.

Garry Freeman The scaffolding and covers on a house wallGarry Freeman
The scaffolding and covers were put up in February

Sandcastle Girl, taken from an old shop in Lowestoft, will be displayed at Moyse's Hall in Bury St Edmunds.

Hula-Hoop Girl, which was discovered in Nottingham, will be exhibited at The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

Banksy pieces will also be put on display at Haverhill Arts Centre, as part of the Urban Frame: Mutiny in Colour exhibition.

Andrew Turner/BBC Lowestoft street artAndrew Turner/BBC
The artwork in Lowestoft depicted a child near a dug-up pavement
Oliv3r Drone Photography Banksy mural being removedOliv3r Drone Photography
It is not yet known what will happen to the Lowestoft mural which has gone into storage

Mr Freeman said his company would now begin work to replace the wall, which had been in need of structural repair before the Banksy mural.

He said a terraced house once attached to the property had been knocked down for Katwijk Way to be constructed.

As a result, the property wall was effectively a party wall, he said, and "needed to come down anyway".

A spokesman for Lowestoft Town Council said it was "unaware of what has happened with the Banksy Seagull".

He added: "As a privately-owned building, the council "had not had any information on what the owner's intentions are".

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

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