When we woke up we found a huge Bansky mural plastering our house… but it became a living nightmare that cost us £200,000

A COUPLE who woke up to find a giant Banksy mural on the side of their home told how it turned into a living nightmare.

Garry and Gokean Coutts had to shell out £200,000 after the mysterious artist painted a six-metre seagull on their wall in 2021.

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The graffiti artist’s mural showed the giant bird swooping down to eat shards of Styrofoam stacked in a yellow container.

But after being told by Suffolk City Council that maintenance would cost tens of thousands of pounds each year, the Coutts decided to have it removed.

Mr. Coutts told The times: “Of course it was incredible at first, but over time it has become extremely stressful. I’m not sure Banksy is aware of the unintended consequences for homeowners. If we could turn back the clock, we would.

“We contacted the city council and were told they could apply for a monument for the piece and we would be responsible for the upkeep at a cost of £40,000 a year.”

“I had to hire a night guard to take care of it after someone stole part of it and tried to sell it on Facebook. Another time, vandals were caught with a dozen pots of white paint, apparently intending to paint over them.

“It was a living nightmare. We had some problems with cracks in the wall. To ensure safety we had to remove them because in case of an accident we would be responsible for it.”

Last month, the 22-ton work of art was removed in a large-scale operation using a crane.

Mr Coutts continued: “It was a massive feat to remove – it required reinforcement with 12 layers of resin, fiberglass and 5 tonnes of steel and the use of a 40ft crane to haul it away.”

“Now we have to figure out what to do with it. The bill for the demolition will probably be over £200,000 and we’re just regular people so we’d like to sell it and make something back from it.”

East Suffolk Council announced Eastern Daily Press: “While we are obviously disappointed with the reported removal of the Banksy seagull from the side of a building in Lowestoft, ultimately it is the owner’s right to make decisions about their own property.”

“We recognize that by their very nature, Banksy’s work may not always be on permanent display.

“We remain grateful for the attention Banksy has given to Lowestoft – a city with a thriving arts and culture scene that will only continue to grow.”

It comes after a new Banksy mural that was vandalized by Jobsworth Council staff had parts of it stolen before it could be preserved.

The artwork on the side of a building in Margate, Kent, originally showed an injured 1950s housewife in an apron and dishwashing gloves pushing a man into a freezer.

But just 24 hours after the artwork was first discovered, community workers removed the freezer — leaving an empty spot.

Thanet’s council later did a U-turn and put the freezer back in its place – after a bizarre pause during which it was replaced with a bin. In an even weirder twist, the freezer was removed again hours later after the council put it back in place.

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