Taxpayers have incurred almost £150,000 in security and clean-up expenses connected to three separate street art pieces created by Banksy.
A mural painted on the Royal Courts of Justice complex in September last year has generated the single highest cost, with protection efforts and removal work adding up to more than £85,000.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that £50,000 has already been spent attempting to remove paint from the Carey Street wall of the Grade II listed Queen’s Building, alongside an additional £35,300 spent on security measures and staff overtime.
The image depicted a judge wearing a wig and gown wielding a gavel above a protester lying on the ground while holding a blood-spattered placard.
Remedial action was taken to erase the piece from the external wall because the structure is listed and therefore subject to legal protections.
The financial data was officially disclosed to the BBC following a freedom of information request, which also revealed how much public money has been spent on removing other examples of the artist’s work.
In April this year, a statue of a man carrying a flag covering his face appeared in Waterloo Place near Trafalgar Square, with Banksy then claiming credit for the work.
Westminster City Council has spent almost £60,000 on safety barriers, administration and paying for a security guard to keep watch over it.
In August 2024, Banksy painted piranha fish on a City of London Police sentry box, which had been installed in the 1990s.
After Banksy painted it, the box was removed at a cost of £2,200 and was never replaced.
It was then put in storage and is set to go on display at the London Museum when it reopens in November.
Banksy, whose real name has never been officially confirmed, has become famous across the world for politically charged murals, including 2002’s Girl With Balloon, 2003’s Love Is In The Air, and 2004’s Kissing Coppers.
The artist confirmed he was responsible for the work at the Royal Courts of Justice with a post on Instagram, showing the graffiti before it was covered over.
Banksy, whose identity is the source of constant speculation, captioned the pictures: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”
His mural was interpreted by some as a comment on the arrest of hundreds of people for supporting Palestine Action by holding up placards at protests.
In July last year, Palestine Action was banned by the Government as a terrorist group after activists damaged RAF planes.
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