A Banksy artwork in Margate which was dismantled by the local council “on the grounds of safety” has had a piece returned.
The mural, titled Valentine’s Day Mascara, had incorporated a real-life chest freezer, a broken garden chair, a blue crate and an empty beer bottle, which were all removed from the site on Tuesday.
However, officials confirmed on Wednesday that it had returned the freezer after making it safe for the public, adding it was in contact with the property owner to discuss ways to preserve the piece.
A spokesperson from Thanet District Council said: “The freezer which council operatives removed from the Banksy installation in Margate has now been made safe. It has been returned to its original position at the site of the artwork today.
“The council has a duty to ensure the ongoing safety of the public; it was necessary to carry out works to the freezer for health and safety reasons.
“We are in touch with the owner of the property to understand their intentions around the preservation of the piece and to secure the best possible outcome for the local community and victims of domestic abuse.”
The original piece depicted a 1950s housewife wearing a blue pinny and yellow washing-up gloves with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a chest freezer.
In a series of photographs posted on Banksy’s Instagram account, the street artist captioned the piece “Valentine’s day mascara” and zoomed in twice to show a close-up of the woman’s smiling but seemingly battered face.
The resident of the property where the painting was created, who asked not to be named, told PA that the freezer and other items including a broken garden chair used for the artwork had been removed “very quickly” and put into a truck at midday on Tuesday.
Discussing how she felt about the removal, the tenant said: “I’m absolutely upset because it’s not really nice. It was part of the art, they should be very happy because Margate could get bigger attention, positive attention.
“Why did they move those parts? It’s just silly.”
