Builders had ‘no idea’ they tore down Banksy mural: ‘We were gutted’

Banksy’s latest artwork was destroyed.

The mural, titled The morning has arriveddepicted a silhouetted boy in a window opening curtains of corrugated iron next to a cat looking out at the view.

The piece appeared on the wall of a derelict farmhouse in the coastal town of Herne Bay, Kent.

The famous street artist confirmed the work with a series of three photos posted to his Instagram, the last of which showed the building in the midst of demolition.

The play is featured in a full-length shot of the dilapidated property, which is overgrown with ivy that is peeling off its white paint and one outbuilding is missing roof slates.

Another image shows a close-up of the artwork and the third photo shows demolition work on the building.

The last photo shows that the wall where the artwork originally appeared has been torn down, with the image also showing a digger, a container and a pile of rubble bricks on the ground while a worker looks on.

This was announced by the Skip company PA News agency that the rubbish bin seen in one of the photos was on property in the seaside town of Herne Bay, Kent and that she was only involved in the project to provide the bin.

One of the contractors tasked with demolishing the building revealed he was unaware the graffiti was by the famous artist.

George Caudwell, narrated KentOnline: “We had no idea it was a Banksy. I felt sick when I realized it was a Banksy – we were disappointed.

“We started demolition yesterday. The landowner saw us doing it and didn’t know it either.”

Additional reporting from PA.