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Gang foiled in bid to steal graffiti art
Last updated at 15:52pm on 30.11.06
Jane Mills with the Liverpool Love Rat
A gang of thieves disguised as builders were foiled as they tried to steal part of a derelict building featuring the work of controversial graffiti artist Banksy.
The artwork, which shows a rat carrying a pot of paint and a red heart, is painted on a steel door of a property in Liverpool city centre.
The thieves struck as the value of the graffiti artist's work is soaring. In October, one of Banksy's images sold at auction for £62,400 and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has reportedly spent a total of £200,000 on his artwork.
The work which was almost stolen, which is known as Liverpool Love Rat, has not been valued yet.
Jane Mills, director of Jacaranda Developments which owns the derelict building, said: "These men just turned up dressed like builders and carrying tools.
"They tried to get the door off but it is very heavy and I think they were struggling.
"One of our cleaners spotted them and asked them what they were doing and they just ran off.
"It's a shame but we've had to move the door from public view and to a secret location because of this."
Ms Mills said she was now deciding what to do with the artwork following last month's attempted theft.
Bristolian Banksy has regularly courted controversy with a series of daring art projects. Last year he targeted a security wall in Israel, creating nine stencil sprays on the Palestinian side of the West Bank barrier.
Previously Banksy has struck at high profile art galleries across the world.
He placed a painting of a can of Tesco value tomato soup and a woman wearing a gas mask in galleries in New York.
He also erected a 3.5-tonne bronze spoof of the Old Bailey's statue of Justice in thigh-high PVC boots and a suspender belt.
Last year the artist placed a hoax exhibit on display at the British Museum.
The painting entitled Early Man Goes to Market showed a cave painting of primitive man pushing a supermarket trolley.
