Leave the Banksys plz

I have been a fan of Banksy's work for many years, and love discovering them as I walk around London and Bristol. The wonderfully imple, powerful, yet humorous messages always bring a smile to my face and clearly I am not the only one who enjoys them.

Recently, he's name has been hitting the headlines not because of the great works that he has done, but because people are stealing or removing them from the streets piece by piece... not doubt to try flog them on the black market, as his artworks are now worth a pretty penny. In this money orientated society, there are few good things that come for free, and one of the many great things about his art work is that you don't have to pay to see it... you don't even have to go to a gallery to stand behind ropes to see it. They are just there, for everyone and anyone to discover and to bring a smile to their faces.

This is really just a simple plea, asking those people who are deliberately sabotaging his artworks or stealing the pieces to STOP. You are taking away that little bit of joy from everyone's lives. And to people who are buying the stolen pieces... shame on you; those art works are meant for the public and the context in which they are created... not for your living room.