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​Transport For London Destroy Banksy’s New Artwork Estimated To Be Worth £7.5m

​Transport For London Destroy Banksy’s New Artwork Estimated To Be Worth £7.5m

The artist unveiled his latest stunt yesterday on Instagram

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Transport For London has destroyed Banksy's new Tube artwork, which art experts believe would have been worth a whopping £7.5 million ($9.5 million).

The artist unveiled his latest stunt yesterday on Instagram, sharing a video of the work being created as he moved through the Tube network.

In the video, titled 'London Underground Undergoes Deep Clean', we see as Banksy pops on a hazmat suit and hi-vis vest, before leaving his signature rat image spray-painted onto the interior of a carriage.

Instagram/Banksy

The final shot shows a clip of the words on a platform wall: "I get lockdown," before the doors of the train close to say: "But I get up again."

We then hear the chorus of Chumbawamba's famous 1997 hit 'Tubthumping', which you'll probably know by its chorus of: "I get knocked down, but I get up again."

However, Transport For London later revealed that staff had cleaned the work off of an Underground Circle Line train 'some days ago' due to its 'strict no graffiti policy'.

Joey Syer, co-founder of MyArtBroker said the value of the installation is thought to be as much as £7.5m, adding that London Mayor Sadiq Khan must be 'kicking himself'.

Syer told the Metro: "It's a huge shame and an opportunity lost for Londoners that the latest Banksy work has already been removed by the anti-graffiti teams at TfL.

"Of course, we understand why, and we understand it's highly likely whoever removed it was following procedure and had no idea they were destroying a Banksy.

Instagram/Banksy

"Had TfL management known, and had the opportunity to remove and protect the installation, we estimate its value as a complete package to be in the region of £7.5 million.

"It's a shame the opportunity was missed to perhaps remove the carriage from the network and turn it into a tourist attraction for all Londoners and the world to enjoy.

"Sadiq Khan must be kicking himself, but Banksy has yet again proved his ability to entertain and make a statement with such daring and style."

A spokesperson for Transport For London said in a statement: "We appreciate the sentiment of encouraging people to wear face coverings, which the vast majority of customers on our transport network are doing.

"In this particular case, the work was removed some days ago due to our strict anti-graffiti policy. We'd like to offer Banksy the chance to do a new version of his message for our customers in a suitable location."

The spokesperson did not comment on the estimated value of the art, or whether or not staff knew the installation was by Banksy.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Banksy

Topics: UK News, News, Banksy