A Banksy mural has disappeared from London and is going up for auction

London - A mural by the original British street artist Banksy, created before last year's Queen's Diamond Jubilee, has vanished from a London street and appeared for sale on an American auction site. This was reported by the BBC News.
     The image, depicting a small boy crouching over a sewing machine from which the British flag is spilling out, disappeared from the wall of a Poundland shop last week. It is now on sale in Miami, where its price is estimated to be between £320,000 and £452,000 (approximately 9.4 to 13.3 million crowns).
     Councillor Alan Strickland stated that the removal of the artwork has caused "a lot of anger." He is leading a campaign for its return. "Residents were really shocked and stunned," he told the BBC. "Banksy gave this piece of art to our community, and people were coming from all over London to see it," he added, noting that residents are particularly disappointed that "the piece of art they received for free has been taken from them and is being sold for an enormous profit."
     The Fine Art Auctions company in Miami described the item as "a spray-painted stencil on plaster with an attached flag for the jubilee." The auction house rejected suggestions that the mural was stolen. They claim to have obtained the piece from "a well-known collector" who signed a statement that "everything is correct."
     The work appeared on Whymark Avenue in North London last May and was seen as Banksy's commentary on the exploitation of cheap labor. Professor Paul Gough, who studies street art, stated that it is likely "the real Banksy," who works under a veil of anonymity and rarely claims his works.
     According to Councillor Strickland, residents noticed scaffolding around the shop last Wednesday. "The scaffolding and tarpaulins disappeared on Friday, and people found that where Banksy was, there is now just a hole in the wall," he added.
     The Poundland chain stated that it is not responsible "for either the sale or the removal of the Banksy mural"; Poundland is not the owner of the building on which the mural was.
     The city council is now trying to contact the property owner to determine whether the artwork was removed legally, the BBC added.