Freezer removed from Banksy domestic violence artwork for second time

The Banksy mural, titled Valentine's Day mascara, which has had a chest freezer and items of broken furniture that were part of the installation removed. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

A Banksy artwork in Margate has been taken apart for a second time, after its first removal by the local council before being returned again.

On Thursday morning, people visiting the mural found the chest freezer, which was part of the artwork, missing. This was despite it having been returned by Thanet district council on Wednesday.

The artwork, called Valentine’s Day mascara, appears to be on the theme of violence against women and girls.

It depicts a caricature image of a stereotypical 1950s housewife, wearing yellow washing-up gloves and a blue apron, pushing her husband into a freezer. The woman is shown to be smiling despite having a swollen eye and a missing tooth.

The artwork as it first appeared on Valentine’s Day. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

The piece – first seen on Tuesday – used a real freezer, which was deemed to be a safety hazard by the council. It had said it would return “once it has been made safe”.

A statement read: “A fridge freezer which is believed to have been part of the installation has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land.”

It added: “We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district.”

The mural has been given a top valuation of £2m by an expert, but only when the freezer is included.

But after the council returned the freezer, it has been removed for a second time. It is understood the fridge has been taken back into storage for safe keeping, this time by a gallery that was called in by the owners of the property to help preserve the artwork.

Julian Usher, the chief executive of Red Eight Gallery, told ITV News: “The only reason we’re taking it away is purely from a security perspective. We can’t have 24-hour security guards standing there, they were there until the Perspex was put up.”

He added: “Now that’s up that’ll protect the piece, hopefully, from vandals or anyone marking or tagging the wall. The chest freezer is now back into storage and then we’re looking into, with the owner, what they want to do with it ultimately.

“Whether we can find something just to replace it in the meantime, which doesn’t matter if it goes missing, that is what we’re still looking into.”