Banksy's GCHQ artwork vandalised in Cheltenham

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/jul/30/banksy-gchq-artwork-vandalised-cheltenham

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Banksy’s artwork of three spies tapping a Cheltenham phone booth, which is currently part of an international bidding war, has been vandalised.

The Gloucestershire Echo reported that a name has been scratched on the sunglasses of the spook to the right of the phone booth, possibly affecting the value of the piece, which is currently subject to a prolonged bidding war.

The piece, dubbed Spy Booth, is being fought over in a seven-figure battle by a community group trying to keep it in Cheltenham and a private collector in the US.

Since June, Spy Booth has been covered up by scaffolding from the company Q Scaffolding, owned by art collector Sky Grimes, who later said he had bought the painting from the owner of the house.

It was due to be removed by Q Scaffolding on 4 July, but on 2 July Cheltenham borough council issued a temporary stop notice to halt work to remove the artwork from the house for 28 days.

Banksy’s snooping, trenchcoat-wearing spies appeared after the storm over surveillance by GCHQ and the National Security Agency, revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The artwork, which can be found on the corner of Fairview Road and Hewlett Road in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, is just miles away from the surveillance agency GCHQ.

The piece appeared on the side of a house overnight in April. Resident Karen Smith told the Gloucestershire Echo she woke up on a Sunday morning to see men packing equipment into the back of a van.

“I thought it might be something to do with the police, like when a crime happens. I saw these people looking and then saw the graffiti. It’s pretty good. It livens up the street.”

In June the artist confirmed Spy Booth was his work on the Q&A section of his website. Asked: “Did you paint the spies in Cheltenham?” He replied: “Yes.”