Banksy: Councils' 'Spraycation' artwork protection bill revealed

Local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk spent thousands on security patrols and polycarbonate sheets to protect Banksy artworks

About £20,000 was spent by three councils to protect Banksy artwork that appeared at various locations along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast.

People flocked to see the pieces created in August which were part of what the artist called "A Great British Spraycation".

Local authorities funded measures such as security patrols and clear sheets to protect them.

They said the cost was "justified" due to the interest they generated.

Banksy, whose true identity remains a mystery, claimed responsibility for the work found in Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Cromer, Norfolk and in Lowestoft and Oulton Broad, Suffolk.

• A guide to Banksy's 'Great British Spraycation'

The total bill for security measures, including specialist coverings and patrols, reached more than £19,600 when VAT was added.

A giant seagull appeared on the side of a house on the corner of Katwijk Way and Denmark Road in Lowestoft

East Suffolk Council spent £7,610 on security patrols, guards and polycarbonate sheets.

It said the "interest generated" by the pieces was a "welcome benefit".

In Lowestoft, a giant seagull appeared on the side of a house, while a mural of a child with a crowbar next to a sandcastle was painted on a wall of the former Lowestoft Electrical premises in London Road North. The latter has since been removed and is due to be sold in the United States.

The mural of a child with a crowbar next to a sandcastle that was in Lowestoft is expected to go on sale in the United States

A picture of a rat relaxing in a deckchair and drinking a cocktail - found on the sea wall at North Beach, in Lowestoft - was defaced and the council said it was "considering the most suitable option" for restoration.

Elsewhere in the district, an image of three children in a rowing boat was painted on a bridge in an Oulton Broad park.

East Suffolk Council said it had been talking to specialists about how best to restore the artwork on North Beach, Lowestoft

Oulton Broad Parish Council removed the metal "boat" next to the artwork in Nicholas Everitt Park over flooding fears as it was blocking a drain

A council spokesman said it took "immediate action" to protect the works once they were confirmed as authentic. It sent out vehicle patrols between 13 and 15 August, before four static guards took over until 18.00 BST on 16 August.

Polycarbonate sheets were installed over the artworks by the end of 17 August.

The authority said it provided security at each location until the "correct materials" could be obtained and the screening work was complete.

"The interest the artwork generated for Lowestoft and East Suffolk was a welcome benefit to the economy, which we believe justified the relatively small level of investment required to protect the works," the spokesman said.

North Norfolk District Council said it spent £720.71 on various measures to protect an artwork on a sea wall in Cromer.

It depicts a group of hermit crabs, with one in a shell holding a sign stating: "Luxury rentals only."

The "luxury rentals only" mural appeared in Cromer

The authority said the mural is covered at least twice a day by high water and has now been protected with clear sealant paint.

The council said the cost "represents a very efficient and justifiable outlay to protect a work of substantial cultural significance, by a world famous artist, which happened to appear in a very popular but exposed location on our coast".

"Thousands of people have visited the site since it appeared last summer," a spokesman said.

"Their enjoyment and the additional tourism income their visits have generated more than justify the cost of the works undertook to protect it from the elements for a period of time, until the sea and the weather naturally and inevitably remove it."

An image depicting a flyaway inflatable with two children inside was removed due to its proximity to an area where a child died

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said it had spent £8,385.49 on security patrols, CCTV cameras and cover screens for the works under its jurisdiction.

The council said it was working with painting conservators and industry experts to relocate a work at Gorleston's model yacht pond, which depicted a flyaway inflatable with two children in it. This is due to its proximity to the area where a child died in 2018.

A work depicting dancers and an accordion player in Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth is now also covered by a protective screen.

An amusement arcade claw grab in a seafront shelter in Gorleston also has a cover.

When this work first appeared in Gorleston, six teddy bears were stencilled beneath it and it was defaced but the original has now been restored

At the time, council leader Carl Smith said the works were "an extremely exciting occurrence, creating a whirlwind of interest and drawing visitors from far and wide".

"We are determined to ensure that they are preserved so that they can continue to be enjoyed by as many people as possible, and that they will act as a catalyst to encourage others, and particularly our young people, to get involved in some form of artistic or cultural activity themselves," he said.

A Great Yarmouth Borough Council spokesperson said: "Banksy is always welcome in Great Yarmouth. The council worked quickly to put in place protection for the artworks and make sure people could visit them safely, and they provided lots of joy to residents and brought in hundreds of visitors.

"We took the decision to cover one of the artworks in response to local sensitivities. We hope in time to put this back on show in a new location, and we are working with a specialist art firm on the best way to do this."

The miniature model stable by Banksy was left in secret at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Also in Yarmouth, a small model of a stable with Banksy's name and the words "go big or go home" appeared at Merrivale Model Village.

The attraction's owner placed it in a protective box and put it on display at certain times during the day, under the watch of staff. It has since been loaned to Peterborough Museum for an urban art exhibition but will return next year.

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