British police have arrested a man on suspicion of stealing a stop sign bearing a Banksy artwork. The traffic light itself has not yet been found.
The artwork is a stop sign with three military drones on it. The road sign was unveiled on Friday at an intersection in south London. Less than an hour later, two men stole the sign, after Banksy confirmed that the sign contained his artwork.
One of the suspects was carrying a shared bicycle, while the other got on the bike and dismantled the sign with special tools. Witnesses took pictures of the theft.
London police launched an investigation on Saturday. In the evening, police reported the arrest of a man. The investigation is ongoing. Police are also looking for witnesses to find out where the artwork is now.
Local authorities have according to BBC News A new traffic signal has been suspended to prevent road users from being exposed to danger. A local artist put a stop sign underneath and recreated Banksy’s art. She told British Radio that art is for everyone.
Banksy is a world-famous London artist whose identity remains unknown years later. According to estimates by one of the gallery owners, the stop sign could be worth half a million pounds (576 thousand euros).
0:43Thieves in London steal Banksy artwork shortly after it was installed
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Londense politie zoekt mee naar gestolen stopbord van kunstenaar Banksy
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Kunstwerk Banksy gestolen uur nadat kunstenaar echtheid bevestigde
“Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Freelance organizer. Avid analyst. Friendly troublemaker. Bacon junkie.”