Taxpayers spent £150,000 on Banksy artworks in London

Taxpayers have spent nearly £150,000 on three Banksy artworks in London, with the largest bill coming from a mural at the Royal Courts of Justice. The Ministry of Justice confirmed it spent £50,000 attempting to remove the piece from the Grade II-listed building on Carey Street, as reported by the BBC. An additional £35,000 was spent on overtime and security for the same artwork.

The mural, which appeared in September 2025, shows a judge in a wig striking a protester with a gavel. Banksy confirmed the work was his by posting an image on his website and Instagram. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service said it was obliged to maintain the building’s original character.

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Further costs and next steps

Contractors have used laser technology to remove the mural, but if Westminster City Council finds the result inadequate, another method may be required. The affected stonework could also be removed and replaced. A listed building consent application has been submitted for railings to be installed across the wall, though the cost remains unclear.

Westminster City Council spent almost £60,000 on a Banksy statue in Waterloo Place, near Trafalgar Square. The statue, which appeared in April, depicts a man carrying a flag. The council said it spent the money on safety barriers, administration and a security guard. It now owns the statue and is reviewing its options.

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A third Banksy artwork, a shoal of piranha fish painted on a police sentry box in the City of London, cost £2,200 to remove. The box, installed in the 1990s as an IRA security measure, will be displayed at the London Museum when it reopens in November.

Debate over public art and costs

Our courts are a national symbol of justice and the rule of law. Banksy’s vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill for the costs he imposes on others.

Nick Timothy, shadow justice secretary

The costs have sparked debate over whether Banksy’s work is vandalism or valuable public art. The shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, called the spending outrageous and said the artist should pay. Art critic Estelle Lovatt told the BBC that Banksy’s work brings people together and makes art accessible without gallery fees.

Banksy emerged from Bristol’s graffiti scene in the 1990s and is now one of the world’s most famous street artists. His work has sold at auction for more than £18 million. The artist has not commented on the public costs associated with his London pieces.

What happens next

Westminster City Council is reviewing options for the statue in Waterloo Place. The Royal Courts of Justice may install railings if the listed building consent application is approved. The Banksy-painted sentry box will go on display at the London Museum in November.