LONDON: British street artist Banksy revealed his latest UK street artwork on Friday — only for two men to run off with it just hours later while being filmed by bemused onlookers.

The installation, a traffic stop sign covered with three aircraft resembling military drones, was erected at an intersection in Peckham, south London, on Friday morning.

An image was posted to Banksy’s social media just after midday. But shortly afterwards bystanders filmed two men taking it down, one of them running off with the sign under his arm.

Images and video of the removal were posted on social media.

“We said, ‘what are you doing?’ but no one really knew what to do, we sort of just watched it happen,” one 26-year-old local, named Alex, told Britain’s Press Association (PA).

“We were all a bit bemused... He ripped it off and ran across the road and ran away.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2023