Thieves Steal Art Wall

Usually when a piece of graffiti is removed from a street, the residents are only too delighted to see the back of it. But when the urban painting is by "guerrilla artist" Banksy, it's a different matter. Several years ago, when he was unknown, Banksy stencilled a black silhouette image of a rat bouncing a beach ball beneath a "No Ball Games" sign on a wall in Gloucester Gardens, Paddington. As his fame grew, the witty art became a popular local landmark. Now, however, it has become a victim of his success. Thieves - using an angle grinder - cut out the section of wall with the image on and put the whole lot up for sale on eBay for £20,000. That's fame Banksy...live with it. Irish Art