MP says removal of Banksy was "totally unethical" (From Haringey Independent)

MP Lynne Featherstone on the hunt for art collector looking to sell Turnpike Lane Banksy

5:27pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News By Bruce Thain

An MP says she aims to track down the collector who is auctioning the Banksy artwork taken from a wall in Wood Green.

The office of Lynne Featherstone MP has been looking into the circumstances behind the removal of the Banksy from the side of Poundland, in Whymark Avenue.

The MP says she has contacted Poundland and Fine Art Auctions Miami, which is selling the work in the US.

The Liberal Democrat said: “So far, Poundland has denied all knowledge and responsibility.

“The auction house has confirmed that a well-known collector brought the piece to them, and said they see nothing untoward about how the piece ended up with them.

“I am now focusing my attention on the building's owners, and the identity of the collector.”

She added: “I share my constituents’ great strength of feeling on this issue. It is clear that the Banksy piece was much loved by locals and visitors alike, and a community asset that was an important part of the fabric of the Turnpike Lane area.

“It is totally unethical that something so valued should be torn without warning from its community context.

“I will continue doing all I can to investigate, with the hope that our Banksy piece might be returned to its rightful home.”

The image, a child making Union Jack bunting, appeared overnight last in May last year and was seen to be condemning child labour and mocking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Olympic celebrations.

It has appeared on the has appeared an auction website with a starting price of $400,000, equivalent to more than £250,000.