Two men are accused of stealing a famous Banksy artwork from a London gallery

LONDON – Two men have been charged with burglary in connection with the theft of a work of art by street artist Banksy that was stolen in a blitz at a London gallery.

The Metropolitan Police said on Friday that Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, allegedly stole “Girl with Balloon” from the Grove Gallery on Sunday evening.

The suspects appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Thursday and were ordered to remain in custody until their next hearing on October 9.

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Surveillance footage documents theft

Security camera footage showed a masked man smashing a glass door, then storming in and taking the painting from the wall. Police said they had recovered the work, which court documents say is worth £270,000 ($355,000). Nothing else was reported stolen.

The stolen work is one of several versions of “Girl with Balloon,” a stenciled image of a child reaching for a heart-shaped red balloon. The image was originally painted on a wall in east London and reproduced countless times, becoming one of Banksy's most famous images.

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Banksy's self-destructing artwork

Another version partially destroyed itself during an auction in 2018 when it went through a shredder hidden in its frame, shortly after it was bought at Sotheby's for £1.1 million ($1.4 million).

The self-shredded work, retitled “Love is in the Bin,” was sold in 2021 for £18.6 million (then $25.4 million).

Gallery director Lindor Mehmetaj said he was “horrified and petrified” by the theft and grateful to have the painting back.

“We are very lucky, but it is very rare that the work is recovered,” he said, adding that the value of the work may have increased as a result of the crime.

“Usually, when artworks and masterpieces are stolen, their financial value can skyrocket,” said Mehmetaj. “Hopefully it will be the same with this Banksy.”

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Banksy's rise to fame

Bansky, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and became one of the world's most famous artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two policemen kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces, and a chimpanzee holding a sign that reads “Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge.”

His paintings and installations sell for millions of dollars at auctions and attract thieves and vandals.

This summer, a number of animal-themed stencils appeared across London. One of them, a howling wolf on a satellite dish, was removed by a masked man less than an hour after it was confirmed to be authentic. An image of a gorilla at London Zoo and piranhas at a police station in London's financial district were both removed by authorities for safekeeping.