Banksy: Police arrest man on suspicion of theft and criminal damage after artwork removed within minutes of artist confirming authenticity
A man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage after a new Banksy artwork was removed.
The elusive artist confirmed the work – a traffic stop sign featuring military drones – was his in a social media post shortly after midday on Friday.
Less than half an hour later, two men were pictured ripping down the sign on which the work was displayed at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham, south London.
The removal was caught on video and several by-standers were heard remarking on what the men were doing at the time.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement today: “One man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage in connection with the incident. He remains in custody.”
The force earlier said it had been informed of the snatched sign on Friday, adding: “Our local authority partners were informed at the time and have since replaced the road sign to avoid endangering road users.
“We have since received a report of theft and enquiries are ongoing.”
The deputy Leader of Southwark Council, Jasmine Ali, said the artwork “should not have been removed”, adding everyone should enjoy “Banksy’s brilliant work”.
Banksy’s new piece of art in Peckham
In a statement issued shortly after the piece was removed, Ms Ali said: “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.”
In the photographs captured at the time, one man could be seen standing on a Lime bike while using bolt cutters to free the sign.
They were then pictured running down the street with the sign in hand.
A man who witnessed the removal said he “watched in awe” as a man “bashed it with his hands”.
The witness, who wanted to be referred to only as Alex, had come to see the artwork after riding a Lime bike to the area.
Another man then used this Lime bike to stand on as he removed the art.
The 26-year-old told the PA news agency: “I opened Instagram and I saw it was posted four minutes before and I was about to go on my lunch break. There were about two people there when I got there. We were all sort of admiring it and taking pictures.
“This guy comes up and grabs it, we watched in awe as he bashed it. He put the Lime bike under the sign, stood on the Lime bike and tried to hit the sign, he hit it with his hands and it wasn’t going anywhere.”
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Bolt cutters used to remove the artwork
He added: “He fell off the Lime bike at one point. He disappeared and went away and about two minutes later he reappeared with bolt cutters and just sort of tried and tried and tried while everyone was watching.
“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 ripped it off and ran across the road and ran away. He said nothing. He didn’t seem to care that much about the art itself.”
It is understood Banksy is not behind the removal.
It is not the first time a Banksy artwork has been removed this year.
A mural weighing 3.8 tonnes called Valentine’s Day Mascara appeared on the side of a house in Margate, Kent, on Valentine’s Day and was dismantled within hours of Banksy sharing a series of photos of it online.
It depicted a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth having thrown a man into a chest freezer.
The artwork appeared to incorporate other objects including a broken garden chair, a frying pan and an empty beer bottle, which were removed.
Sir Rod Stewart has defended his support for Ukraine after he appeared to be booed as photos of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were shown at a concert in Germany.
The 79-year-old was met with loud boos, shouts and whistles from the crowd in Leipzig’s Quarterback Immobilien Arena on Friday, before performing his 1991 hit Rhythm Of My Heart – which he calls a war song and has dedicated to Kyiv in recent shows.
Sir Rod then saluted the Ukrainian leader, while images of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian flag were projected on screen.
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Reacting to the jeers from the crowd on Monday, Sir Rob said he has supported the Ukrainian people since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
“From arranging for members of my family to take supplies to the country, to renting a house in the UK for a Ukrainian family, as well as employing two Ukrainians as part of my touring crew,” he said.
“So yes, I do support Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, and I will continue to do so.
“Putin must be stopped.”
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The singer ended the statement by saying he is having “the time of my life playing for German audiences, sharing some special memories” and is looking forward to playing his remaining dates there.
Sir Rod has regularly condemned Russia, and recently called Vladimir Putin an “arsehole” during an interview with Sky News.
He is due to return to Germany for a show at Hamburg’s Barclays Arena later this week, before performing in Cologne on 25 June and Munich on 28 June.
Daniel Radcliffe has won his first Tony Award and admitted it was “one of the best experiences” of his life at a ceremony in New York which saw big wins for The Outsiders and Stereophonic.
The 34-year-old star of the Harry Potter movies picked up the award at the 77th annual event, which recognises excellence in Broadway theatre, for his role in the revival of Merrily We Roll Along.
After performing with the cast of the show on stage at the Lincoln Centre’s David H Koch Theatre, Radcliffe appeared shocked to win the award for best actor in a featured role in a musical.
“This has been one of the best experiences of my life,” Radcliffe said.
He thanked the late George Furth and Stephen Sondheim “for writing this unbelievable show” in 1981, the songs of which he described as “a gift to get to sing every night”.
He also said it was an “honour” to share the stage with co-stars Lindsay Mendez and Jonathan Groff in the musical, which charts the turbulent relationship between three lifelong friends.
The Outsiders, based on the SE Hinton book about rival gangs in 1960s Oklahoma, won three awards including best new musical – and landed producer Angelina Jolie her first Tony.
Stereophonic, the play about a Fleetwood Mac-like band recording an album over a turbulent year, won best new play and scooped the night’s most total awards with five.
The star-studded ceremony also saw Nick Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, and Cynthia Erivo among the attendees, while there was a surprise performance from Alicia Keys and Jay-Z.
Angelina Jolie attended the ceremony with her daughter, Vivienne. Pic: Reuters
Alicia Keys performs at the 77th annual Tony Awards. Pic: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Radcliffe’s Merrily We Roll Along co-star Groff won best actor in a musical – while British director Maria Friedman collected the gong for best revival of a musical alongside her producer sister Sonia.
The ceremony kicked off with a first-time win for Succession’s Jeremy Strong, who triumphed in the best actor in a play category for An Enemy Of The People.
Sarah Paulson won best actress in a play for her role in Appropriate, a dark family drama-turned-comedy from playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
Kecia Lewis won her first Tony for her role in Hell’s Kitchen. Pic: Reuters
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Theatre veteran Kecia Lewis picked up her first Tony for best featured actress in musical Hell’s Kitchen.
In an emotional speech, Lewis recalled how she “walked into the Imperial Theatre to begin my Broadway career at 18 years old”.
She added: “This moment is the one I dreamed for most of those 40 years, so I say to everyone who can hear my voice – don’t give up.”
To win a Tony – short for Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre – means a winner is a quarter of the way towards becoming among the few to gain an EGOT, the so-called “grand slam” of American show business, achieved by those who also win an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy.
The West End of London’s equivalent awards are the Olivier Awards, which were presented this year in April.
Sir Rod Stewart appeared to be booed as photos of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were shown at a concert in Germany.
The 79-year-old singer, who has spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was playing at Leipzig’s Quarterback Immobilien Arena on Friday.
Before performing his 1991 hit Rhythm Of My Heart – which he calls a war song and has dedicated to Kyiv in recent shows – the Ukrainian flag was projected on screen behind Sir Rod.
Images of Mr Zelenskyy were then shown, prompting loud boos, shouts, and whistles from the crowd.
Videos from social media show the crowd appearing to jeer as Sir Rod salutes the Ukrainian president.
The singer has regularly condemned Russia since 2022, and recently called Vladimir Putin an “arsehole” during an interview with Sky News.
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From February: ‘Music brought us together’
He told Sky News’s Friday Night With Niall Patterson in February: “We have to support Ukraine right to the end.”
In October 2022, Sir Rod also revealed had rented and furnished a home for a family of seven Ukrainian refugees.
“Words couldn’t describe what we were watching,” he told the Daily Mirror at the time. “The bombing of innocent children, the bombing of hospitals and playgrounds.
“Like everyone else, we were completely beside ourselves. I don’t wish that on anyone. This is evil, pure evil.”
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Sir Rod will return to Germany for a show at Hamburg’s Barclays Arena later this week, before performing in Cologne on 25 June and Munich on 28 June.
A representative for Sir Rod has been asked for comment.
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