‘New’ Banksy appears as mysterious street artist ‘returns to fix balloon girl mural vandalised ten years ago’

A BANKSY artwork has appeared at the site of his vandalised "balloon girl" mural - in what appears to be a protest over climate change.

The new work, depicting a child holding a balloon with the words "our future”, appeared on a wall in Southampton overnight on Friday.

Banksy created a similar piece of art on the same wall in November 2010, which showed the same child’s figure with the words “No Future”.

However, the piece was vandalised days after it appeared on the wall – but some say the cult artist returned to “fix” the piece a decade after it first appeared.

Gallery owner and Banksy 'expert' John Brandler said the new mural, in a run-down area of the city not far from Southampton FC stadium, has all the hallmarks of Banksy's work.

Mr Brandler, who runs Brandler Galleries which specialises in Street and Urban art in Brentwood, Essex, said: “It is difficult to judge if it is definitely a Banksy piece from the photos I have seen, as they are shot at an angle, but is it not unknown for Banksy to go back to old murals that have been damaged.

“So it may well be he has gone back. I would say there is a 60 to 70 per cent chance it is his work, but we need to see what he put on his website.”

Southampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture, Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur, said: "It would be great if he had returned to add to one of his pieces - something he’s done before - at a time when Southampton is growing its cultural offer.

"As we know Banksy is a keen political activist, and art can be used to translate the most powerful messages.

"With our climate emergency and this mural in an area where the children are among the most deprived in the country, it is a poignant place to have it and an important reminder for us all to act."

In February, a Valentine's mural by the shadowy street artist was vandalised 48 hours after it appeared on the side of a house in Bristol.

The Valentine's Day-inspired street art, which shows a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers in the artist's usual stencil style, has now been defaced with the words "BCC W***ERS".