Mystery as Banksy artwork on Brick Lane disappears overnight

An artwork by Banksy on Brick Lane has been removed overnight for reasons yet to be confirmed.

The piece of art, which featured three monkeys painted to appear as if they were swinging from the railway bridge, appeared in East London in August as part of a series of animals artworks by the artist over the city.

A glass cover was initially placed over the Brick Lane instalment, suggesting it was to become a permanent fixture. However, City AM witnessed a group of workers dissembling the artwork on Wednesday night and jet washing it away.

When asked, the workers said they had been told to remove the mural but did not know why.

Tower Hamlets Council has so far been unable to confirm why the artwork was removed or whether they were involved in the decision.

Pest Control, the official handling agency for Banksy’s artwork, was also unable to explain the removal when contacted for comment.

The monkeys mural formed one of eight Banksy pieces that appeared in London over the summer, which included a goat in Kew, a pair of pelicans above a fish and chip shop in Walthamstow and a City of London police sentry box painted with piranhas on Ludgate Hill.

The sentry box was removed by authorities shortly after it appeared, with the City of London Corporation saying it had been moved to ensure it was “properly protected”. Separately, a big cat which appeared on a billboard in Cricklewood was removed the same week due to safety concerns.

Meanwhile another piece in the series – a wolf painted onto a satellite dish in Peckham – disappeared hours after instalment and is believed to have been stolen.