A COUNCIL has been slammed for ruining a new Banksy mural after part of it was replaced by a wheelie bin.
The artwork on the side of a building in Margate, Kent, originally showed a bruised 1950s housewife in an apron and washing-up gloves pushing a man into a freezer.
The faceless artist confirmed it was his latest piece on Instagram yesterday.
The mural, titled Valentine's Day Mascara, highlights the issue of violence against women.
But just 24 hours after the artwork was first spotted, council workers removed the freezer - leaving behind a blank space.
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And new pictures show that the freezer has now been replaced by a council wheelie bin.
It is currently unclear whether the council was responsible for the placement of the wheelie bin in front of the artwork.
However, the council has now made a U-turn, putting the freezer back in place.
Thanet District Council said: "The freezer which council operatives removed from the Banksy installation in Margate has now been made safe.
"It has been returned to its original position at the site of the artwork today.
"The council has a duty to ensure the ongoing safety of the public - it was necessary to carry out works to the freezer for health and safety reasons.
"Banksy raises the important issue of domestic abuse in this artwork.
"We are in touch with the owner of the property to understand their intentions around the preservation of the piece and to secure the best possible outcome for the local community and victims of domestic abuse."
North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale defended the local council's decision to dismantle the new Banksy artwork, conceding that it had been "heavy-handed".
He said: "I think it's an extremely impressive and extremely clever piece of art.
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"And I hope and believe that it can and it should be preserved and displayed safely so that as many people as possible can see it."
"I know there are people who are saying, 'Oh they should never have done this, they should have left it as it was'."
"You can't. "If you've got something as potentially dangerous as a chest freezer into which a child could climb (into) and suffocate, you actually can't responsibly just leave it.
"You have to do something about it to make it safe."
