Banksy in Port Talbot: Mystery street artist confirms he is behind graffiti mural in Welsh town

The owner of the garage featuring the work said he had not slept over fears it might be vandalised

International graffiti artist of mystery Banksy has struck again.

An artwork depicting a child playing in snow has appeared on a garage wall overnight in Port Talbot, Wales.

But the second half of the mural, around the corner of the wall, shows that the snow is in fact falling ash from a fire.

The piece, in the Taibach area, appears to be a comment on the town’s industrial heritage.

The secretive street artist – believed to be based in Bristol – confirmed on social media he was behind the piece.

Alongside a video of the artwork, Banksy wrote: “Season’s greetings.”

“It’s amazing, an incredible addition to Port Talbot,” said Rachel Honey-Jones, 33, who lives on the other side of Swansea Bay.

“Everything about it is political messaging, the way the boy has been drawn, the positioning near the steelworks, the fact it was done just after the [Severn Bridge] tolls went down.”

In July, black dust from the town’s steelworks covered houses, cars and pets, possibly providing inspiration for the piece. The nearby toll on the Severn Bridge has also recently been dropped, which will lead to more traffic – and pollution.

The garage owner said he had not slept over fears it might be vandalised. Ian Lewis added that he found out about the artwork via Facebook.

A spokesperson for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “The council is sending officers to liaise with the property holder to assist in protecting this artwork.”