GALLERY: Swept under the carpet ... Red faces as another Banksy mural bites the dust
When renowned graffiti artist Banksy created one of his trademark pieces on the wall of the cutting-edge White Cube art gallery he might have expected it to be in safe hands.
But the gallery has been left embarrassed after the £200,000 work was destroyed.
The mural, called Sweep It Under The Carpet, showed a maid looking as if she was lifting up a part of the wall like a curtain to sweep away some dust.
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Down the dustpan: The work by graffiti artist Banksy was obliterated
It adorned the outside of the gallery in Hoxton, East London, for two months before vanishing.
Although White Cube employees insist they have no idea who painted over the mural, neighbouring businesses say they believe gallery staff were responsible.
Dave Ma, the manager of Shish restaurant, which is directly opposite the wall, saw someone he believes was a White Cube staff member painting over the work.
He said: "The gallery's policy is to paint over any graffiti the following day. When the Banksy work appeared, staff at the Cube asked their boss if they could bend the rules and leave it.
"He said they could leave it for a month but ordered them to cover over it once the month was up.
"It's a real shame. People in the area thought it was a great piece of art. They certainly didn't expect it to be destroyed."
A White Cube spokeswoman said: "Contractors were hired to paint the wall but were told not to paint over the Banksy.
"It wasn't removed by us or our contractors. It was painted over by a third party but we don't know who."
A friend of the artist said: "The fact that it was painted over is an embarrassment. It's a ridiculous thing for the gallery to do."
Banksy, who likes to remain anonymous, uses stencils to spray his images. His work of two policemen kissing in Brighton was blacked out in January.
And contractors believed to be from Transport for London painted over another of his pieces in the capital.
It showed Pulp Fiction stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson holding bananas instead of guns.
