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Is it a Banksy? Graffiti commenting on surveillance appears in Cheltenham

Graffiti cropped up on side of a house in Cheltenham near GCHQ
Shady agents: the new graffiti street art piece appeared on a house in Fairview Road, Cheltenham
Standard Reporter
14 April 2014

Guerrilla street artist Banksy is thought to have unveiled his latest piece, which sends out a message against Government surveillance.

The graffiti shows three shady 1950s style agents, dressed in brown trench coats and trilby hats, using equipment to tap into telephone box conversations.

It appeared overnight on the side of a house in Cheltenham, close to GCHQ where the UK’s surveillance network is located.

Art fans: people crowding around the graffiti in Cheltenham (Pictures: PA)

Residents claim they saw a group of men packing away a large white tarpaulin at 7.30am on Sunday morning, before driving away in the van.

Banksy has yet to officially confirm the piece on his website, but fans have said it has the same narrative, style and execution of his work.

Karen Smith, 48, said the figures appeared on the side of the house where she lives on Sunday morning.

Street art: residents claim they saw men carting away a large white tarpaulin (Picture: PA)

The mum-of-five told the Gloucestershire Echo: “It's pretty good. It livens the street up a bit. There have been a lot of people about today looking at it.

“My daughter, Sophie thinks it's Banksy, but I've been speaking to different people outside and some agree, some don't."

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Graffiti website streetartnews said Banksy had showed up with a maintenance van and covered all the sides with tarpaulin before creating the piece "at the break of dawn".

The website said: “Quite a strong statement against the recent privacy issues we experienced this past year with the NSA and such," the website said.

Spying: the three figures appear to be listening in to telephone conversations (Picture: PA)

"Banksy didn't pick Cheltenham randomly as the city is home of the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters).

"While not officially confirmed by his website, this piece has all the Banksy characteristics in narrative, style and execution."

The Bristol street artist is known for making political statements through his artwork.

Last month his artwork of a young girl in Syria was beamed on Nelson’s Column as part of a global protest against the situation in Syria.

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Banksy
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