Unbelievable...

I'm spitting with rage at the news - thanks to Kris, who blogs from Stoke Newington -  that this fabulous piece of graffiti art by Banksy has been destroyed by Hackney Council. Unbelievable.
Baroque in Hackney has a picture of how it looks now. As she says - can't the idiots who run Hackney Council tell the difference between tagging and a piece of public art?
It was painted on the side of a privately-owned property, and the owner was begging them not to destroy it. I hope she sues them.
According to Kris even the men from the council  had tears in their eyes. But they did it all the same.

Update: Accoridng to the BBC, Hackney Council have now admitted that they screwed up. Boneheaded councillor Alan Laing  has been defending the council's right to do whatever it wants but now admits:   "Due to a problem at the land registry unfortunately our letters stating our intention to clean this building didn't reach the owner.
"As soon as we realised this, work stopped. We are now speaking with her about how to resolve the issue."
The owner Diana Attrill said:  "I don't care about art or politics - I am just an ordinary girl who liked being cheered up by seeing this on my street.

"People have always been telling us to sell it or cover it in Perspex, but we only wanted it to be here for the public's enjoyment.
"You can't take a photo if it's behind a thick plastic screen."
She continued: "We never wanted to make money out of it like many do - but it was a part of our lives. Now it's gone.
I know there are more important things to be getting upset about. But wanton destruction just gets me down.