December 23rd 2023.
Southwark Council is pleading to the Metropolitan Police for help in recovering a Banksy artwork stolen from Peckham. The artwork is a three aircraft resembling military drones on a stop sign. It was posted on Banksy's social media around midday yesterday, and not long after, a man with bolt cutters brazenly removed it.
Deputy Leader of Southwark Council, Jasmine Ali, released a statement following the theft, saying, “Of course Banksy picked Peckham, it’s already on the map when it comes to art and is a hotbed for creativity. It should not have been removed and we’d like it back so everyone in the community can enjoy Banksy’s brilliant work. We have reported the removal of our sign to the police to help get it back.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they are aware of the incident, which happened at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham. They also said they are waiting to hear if the local authority want to formally report the incident as a crime. To ensure road users aren't put in danger, the stop sign has since been replaced.
Witnesses to the incident have shared their stories. Alex, a 26-year-old who didn't want to give his surname, said, “We said, ‘what are you doing?’ but no one really knew what to do, we sort of just watched it happen. We were all a bit bemused, there was some honking of car horns.” He said the man then ‘ripped’ the sign off and ran away.
Another witness said the culprit must have lived locally, since “he was only gone a few minutes” to get the bolt-cutters. He added, “A few of us were just stood around watching while he did it. Some people tried shouting at him to stop but he didn’t pay us any attention.”
It is believed that Banksy is not behind the removal of his own artwork. His pieces are often stolen or removed by local authorities after they have been revealed to be his. Southwark Council is still hoping that they can get the artwork back and the community can enjoy it.
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