New Banksy Valentine’s Day graffiti defaced within hours as vandals spray ‘w***ers’ on it
A BANKSY mural has been attacked by vandals just 48 hours after it appeared on the side of a house in Bristol.
The Valentine's Day-inspired street art, which shows a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers in the artist's usual stencil style, has now been defaced with the words "BCC W***ERS".
The mural was first spotted by locals in Marsh Lane on Thursday and celebrated by all Bristolians alike.
But a photo of the vandalised piece has since been shared on social media.
The family who own the house n which the artwork appeared have now covered it in an effort to protect it.
Kelly Woodruff, the daughter of Edwin Simons, who owns the rented home said: "Due to the mindless vandalism to the artwork, the family have taken the very difficult decision to cover the artwork to try to protect it.
Due to the mindless vandalism to the artwork, the family have taken the very difficult decision to cover the artwork to try to protect it.
Kelly Woodruff
"The family feels a strong responsibility to ensure the art is available for the enjoyment of the people of Bristol and the general public.
"All measures are temporary and we ask that the public are patient while we work out the best way to clean the damage, restore and protect it for the future so everyone can enjoy Banksy's work.
"We hope everyone will understand that these steps are necessary."
One local resident who spotted the vandalism said: "It's a real shame, but it was always going to happen, unfortunately."
Bristolians were excited about the new work when it first appeared earlier this week.
Kelly Woodruff, 37, whose father owns a house on Marsh Lane, said she was "gobsmacked" that Banksy had drawn the mural on her dad's birthday.
She said: "I'm so excited. It's given everyone a bit of a buzz.
"I haven't even spoken to my dad about it yet. I saw it on Facebook and immediately texted it to him. It's his birthday."
The new graffiti is remarkably similar to Banksy's iconic Balloon Girl mural.
The piece shows a young girl with her hand extended toward a red heart-shaped balloon being carried away by the wind.
It was first spotted in 2002 in various spots in London and has become one of Banksy's most famous works.
WHO IS BANKSY?
Banksy is an elusive graffiti artist whose real identity has never been revealed.
His street art has been spotted around the south of England, including London, Brighton and Bristol as well as prominent international locations.
He is one of the world's richest and best known artists worth an estimated £38million.
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But last year, his ex-agent Steven Lazarides released a series of exclusive pictures of the young artist at work.
The snaps show the secretive street scribbler working on some of his most famous etchings, but his face still remains a mystery.
He has at various times been rumoured to be Bristol street artist Robin Gunningham and Massive Attack musician Robert Del Naja.
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