Banksy boyed in Bristol

Famous Banksy mural defaced by paintballers

Vandalised: The Bristol Banksy mural which features a naked lover hanging out of a window has been defaced with splodges of blue paint

One of graffiti artist Banksy's best-loved murals has been defaced in a paintball shooting.
The image - on the wall of sexual health clinic on Park Street, Bristol - is less than a mile from the museum where Banksy's biggest-ever public exhibition is taking place.
It depicts a naked lover hanging out of a window while his mistress' husband peers out looking for him.
But the work has now been peppered with six splodges of blue paint fired from a paintball gun.
Bristol City Council decided not to remove the mural when it was created in 2006 when a public poll revealed 97 per cent of residents wanted it to stay.
Councillor Gary Hopkins today said he was 'disappointed' by the attack and the council will now pay for the paint to be removed.
He said: 'The decision to leave that work in place was a real turning point in terms of the council's approach to viewing some graffiti as art.
'Almost everyone voted to keep it but having said that there were some people who argued against us saying that condoning it was like condoning vandalism.
'Because of this I'm disappointed but not surprised by the attack. Clearly we are going to have to make certain that this blue paint is removed.
'The mural brings people to Bristol and has become something of an attraction because it is situated so close to Banksy's exhibition.'
The attack, which is believed to have happened last night, occurred just 400m from Banksy's free exhibition at Bristol City Museum.
The event, entitled Banksy versus Bristol Museum, opened on June 13 and is set to run for the next three months.

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Second Banksy city mural attacked

The mural was also daubed with red paint earlier this year A second mural in central Bristol by the graffiti artist Banksy has been defaced. The Mild Mild West, which depicts comic policemen and a bear, has been splattered with blue paint. On Monday, a picture painted on the side of a wall in the city's Park Street was vandalised with blue paint splashes. The image, which was due to be restored on Wednesday, shows a naked man hanging from a window sill. 'Jealousy' motive Businessman Albert Murphy, Conservative councillor for Avonmouth, said he was using his own cherry picker to clean the Park Street work. "The council won't do it because they haven't got the facilities to do it and we have. "We're going to remove the biodegradable paint first and then it can be cleaned off with soapy water and then we'll start on the picture. The mural was also sprayed with red paint in April "I'll do it myself, there's no cost to the council whatsoever." In April, the Mild Mild West was sprayed with red paint by a group called Appropriate Media as a protest over the Stokes Croft area of the city "being gentrified" The red paint was later cleaned by community volunteers. The Mild Mild West was voted Bristol's favourite alternative landmark in an online poll in 2007. Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is showing an exhibition of Banksy's work which is due to run for 12 weeks. ---------------------------- 'Faked' Banksy art trio charged This genuine Banksy image of Kate Moss sold in 2006 for £57,600 Three people have appeared in court charged with faking artwork by the graffiti artist Banksy. Grant Howard, 43, from south Croydon, and Lee Parker, 44, from Eastbourne, east Sussex, are charged with conspiracy to defraud. At City of London Magistrates' Court Vesna Grande-Howard, 32, also of south Croydon, is accused of money laundering. All three face a charge of possessing articles for use in fraud. They are accused of forging screen prints purporting to be by controversial 'guerilla artist' Banksy, whose art has sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. It is also alleged they manufactured and sold faked Vivienne Westwood clothing. The accused are due before Southwark Crown Court on 18 August.