British Council Removes Banksy Artwork Due To Complaints Of Racism

A council in the east of England has removed a mural by controversial graffiti artist, Banksy, claiming it contained "offensive and racist remarks."

The decision was trigged by local Conservative MP, Douglas Carswell of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

The work showed five grey pigeons holding up signs, including one stating, "Go back to Africa" towards a more colorful migratory swallow, The Guardian reports. One of the pigeons' signs read, "migrants not welcome," while another held a placard that reads "keep off our worms."

The mural is a clear critique of UKIP's argument that Britain's immigration policies are too lax.

Nigel Brown, communications manager for Tendring district council, said it had received a complaint on Tuesday that "offensive and racist remarks" had been painted on a seafront building. He said, "The site was inspected by staff who agreed that it could be seen as offensive and it was removed this morning in line with our policy to remove this type of material within 48 hours."

He added, "We would obviously welcome an appropriate Banksy original on any of our seafronts and would be delighted if he returned in the future."

The town where the mural was painted, Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, is set to host a byelection next week.

Some suggest that the council did not realize that Banksy was the artist of the mural before taking it down. Other pieces he has painted have been valued in six figures.

The Clacton mural is the second piece of art Banksy has created this week. On Tuesday a piece called "Art Buff" appeared on a wall in Folkestone, Kent - another area of Britain where immigration is a hotly debated topic.

The work has since been protected by a clear plastic sheet and the owner o the building which it was painted has employed a security guard.

Banksy confirmed that he was responsible for the Folkestone mural on his website.