Banksy artwork painted over in graffiti clean-up drive
£5,000 Paddington Bear mural covered up by Glastonbury council volunteers
A group of volunteers clearing graffiti from the walls and bus stops in their home town have inadvertently painted over a modern masterpiece – and cost its owner £5,000.
The work, attributed to street artist Banksy, depicted Paddington Bear with the caption “Migration is not a crime” and was painted on to a wall owned by Julian Chatt in Glastonbury, Somerset. But well-meaning volunteers painted over the artwork as part of the council’s drive to rid the area of graffiti.
Chatt said he had struck a deal to sell the piece for about £5,000 and had agreed with the council that it would not be removed. “I’d spoken to the town council in the past and asked them not to paint over the artwork,” Chatt told the Western Daily Press.
“Sure enough, the last few times the council have been out they didn’t paint it over. But on Saturday morning, I came out of my house and there was this chemical smell, and when I turned the corner Paddington was gone.”
He said no one had asked him for permission to paint the wall, adding that his insurance provider would examine whether the painting was covered. Chatt said he had also reported it to the police.