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Hull window cleaner saves defaced Banksy mural Hull window cleaner saves defaced Banksy mural
(about 4 hours later)
A defaced mural by the graffiti artist Banksy on a disused bridge in Hull has been saved by a window cleaner.A defaced mural by the graffiti artist Banksy on a disused bridge in Hull has been saved by a window cleaner.
The stencilled design depicts a child carrying a wooden sword with a pencil attached to the end. The stencilled design depicts a child carrying a wooden sword with a pencil attached to the end, under the text "draw the raised bridge!"
Late on Sunday reports on social media suggested the mural on Scott Street in the Wincolmlee area of the city had been whitewashed. The mural on Scott Street, Wincolmlee, was whitewashed on Sunday night but Jason Fanthorpe used water and white spirit to partly restore the image.
Jason Fanthorpe used water and white spirit in an attempt to clean off the white paint, restoring the image. Hull City Council has since installed a large protective cover over the work.
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He said he just had to act after seeing the mural had been damaged. Mr Fanthorpe said he "could not just sit back and not try to help" after seeing the mural had been damaged.
"I was just going to bed when I'd seen that it had been painted over, and someone had said it was still wet. "I was just going to bed when I'd seen that it had been painted over, and someone had said it was still wet," he said.
"Banksy, love him or hate him, has international prestige and he'd gifted the city with his art. I could not just sit back and not try to help. "Banksy, love him or hate him, has international prestige and he'd gifted the city with his art."
"Being a window cleaner I had the equipment at hand, I knew we'd need ladders as I'd been to see it earlier in the week. The window cleaner already had his ladders and other equipment prepared for his Monday morning shift, so he headed straight to the bridge in an attempt to save the mural.
"I tried with just pure water at first, on one tiny corner, desperate not to destroy the underlying art. But it was not shifting so had to use white spirit." He said: "I tried with just pure water at first, on one tiny corner, desperate not to destroy the underlying art. But it was not shifting so had to use white spirit."
He added a number of people also turned up overnight to help with cleaning the mural. A number of people also turned up overnight to help with the cleaning, Mr Fanthorpe added.
Hull City Council said it planned to apply a protective layer to the artwork. A steady stream of people have been visiting the street to take photos of the mural after images of it were shared on Banksy's verified Instagram account on Friday.
"This temporary measure will help to ensure that the public can continue to enjoy the work and prevent, where possible, further damage," a spokesman said. Hull City Council said the protective layer has been added "to prevent further damage".
Chris Fenton came down to the site this morning after hearing about the damage. "This temporary measure will help to ensure that the public can continue to enjoy the work," a spokesperson said.
Staff at the Whalebone pub, yards away from the mural, told the BBC they have met people from Bristol and Manchester who have travelled to Hull specifically to see the artwork.
Chris Fenton went to the site earlier after hearing about the damage.
"Why would someone do that? What was the reason," he said."Why would someone do that? What was the reason," he said.
"All the excitement it brought to the city over the weekend and someone does that.""All the excitement it brought to the city over the weekend and someone does that."