Banksy murals in London leave taxpayers facing £150,000 bill

The largest cost has arisen from a mural the anonymous artist painted on the Royal Courts of Justice in September 2025. More than £85,000 has been spent on attempts to remove the work and on security, according to the BBC.

The mural, stencilled on the exterior of the grade II listed building on Carey Street, depicts a judge in wig and robes striking an unarmed protester with a gavel.

Blood-red paint appears across the protester’s placard in an otherwise largely monochrome image. Activists interpreted the work as a criticism of the UK government’s use of the Terrorism Act 2000 against the protest group Palestine Action.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice following a freedom of information request showed that £50,000 had been spent trying to remove the paint, while a further £35,300 had gone on security.

A HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said: “The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.”

The expense has renewed the debate over whether Banksy’s work should be regarded as public art or vandalism.

Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, told the BBC: “It’s outrageous that tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money – maybe more – will have to be spent cleaning up after Banksy, who seems to believe he has a right to deface public buildings with impunity.”

“Banksy’s vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill for the costs he imposes on others.”

Art critic Estelle Lovatt took a different view, saying: “Some people visit Buckingham Palace and others visit Banksy’s art. His work brings people together in a way that politics can divide us. He’s like the Pied Piper or a town crier.

“It can be intimidating if a mural appears on your building, in terms of the crowds, but he makes art accessible because there’s no gallery fee.”

Early efforts to clean the Royal Courts mural were unsuccessful and contractors are now using laser technology to remove it. A further method may be tried if Westminster City Council is dissatisfied with the result, while the most drastic option would involve removing and replacing the affected stonework.

A second Banksy work has cost Westminster City Council almost £60,000.

The installation, showing a man whose view is obscured by a flag he is carrying, appeared at Waterloo Place near Trafalgar Square in April. The council attributed the expenditure to safety barriers, administration and security.

A third work dates from August 2024, when Banksy painted a series of piranhas on a City of London police sentry box.

The box had been installed in the 1990s as a security measure against the IRA. It was subsequently removed at a cost of £2,200 and was not replaced. It is due to be displayed at the London Museum in November.