Insolite
A pretty penny: Three Banksy artworks cost taxpayers £150,000 in upkeep
Three Banksy artworks have cost UK taxpayers nearly £150,000 in cleaning, security, and maintenance.
Ce qu'il faut retenir
- Three Banksy artworks have cost taxpayers almost £150,000 in cleaning, security, and other costs.
- Efforts to remove a mural on the Royal Courts of Justice and provide security have cost more than £85,000.
- Banksy's vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill for the costs he imposes.
- Banksy's work brings people together and makes art accessible without gallery fees.
Three Banksy artworks have cost UK taxpayers nearly £150,000 in cleaning, security, and maintenance. The most expensive is a September 2025 mural on the Royal Courts of Justice, costing over £85,000, where contractors are now using laser technology to remove the paint. Another statue installation cost Westminster City Council £60,000, while a third work on a police box cost £2,200 to remove. The expenses have sparked a fierce debate, with the shadow justice secretary calling it vandalism and demanding Banksy pay, while art critics defend the works as accessible public art that boosts tourism.
Leurs propres mots
“Banksy’s vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill for the costs he imposes on others.”
“His work brings people together in a way that politics can divide us. He’s like the Pied Piper or a town crier.”
Les chiffres clés
- £150,000
- Total taxpayer cost for three Banksy artworks
- £85,000
- Cost to remove and secure Royal Courts mural
- £50,000
- Spent trying to remove paint from Carey Street
- £60,000
- Westminster City Council costs for Waterloo Place statue
- £2,200
- Cost to remove the piranha police sentry box
Le fil des événements
- Piranha fish mural appears on police sentry box
- Man carrying flag statue appears in Waterloo Place
- Judge mural painted on Royal Courts of Justice
- Removed police sentry box scheduled for museum display
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Questions fréquentes
- Que s'est-il passé avec taxpayer costs for maintaining Banksy artworks ?
- Three Banksy artworks have cost taxpayers almost £150,000 in cleaning, security, and other costs.
- Où puis-je lire le rapport d'origine ?
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