Vandalised street artwork to be removed as council declares it is not by Banksy

The image was spotted on a back street in Glasgow city centre on Wednesday.

The council said the image is not believed to be a genuine Banksy artwork (Jonny Holliday/PA)

A vandalised painting on a building in Glasgow which some had thought to be the work of Banksy will be removed after the council confirmed it is not genuine.

Glasgow City Council told the PA news agency that an image painted on the side of a building off Buchanan Street of a rodent wearing a Union Jack hat and playing a drum, which has the words “God save the King” on it, will be removed.

There had been wide speculation that the image was a Banksy due to his exhibition Cut And Run opening at the nearby Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) last week.

The artwork was first spotted on Wednesday, but on Thursday blue paint had been sprayed on top of it.

The artwork does not appear on Banksy’s official website, Pest Control, which catalogues all of the artist’s genuine work.

A spokesman for the council said: “This image will be removed. We understand that it is not by Banksy. Anyone who wants to be certain of viewing a true Banksy should head to the exhibition at Goma.”

Depute Lord Provost of Glasgow Christy Mearns had urged the council not to remove it.

She tweeted on Wednesday: “I flagged this to council and asked that it is not removed.

“It’s a building in a very public space – and it’s not affecting the building in any way.”