Three Banksy artworks have cost taxpayers more than $200,000 in dismantling, security and other expenses, and the amount is expected to rise, UNN reports, citing The Guardian.
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The largest bill is linked to a mural painted on the Royal Courts of Justice building in London in September 2025, whose removal and security have already cost more than $114,000, the BBC reports.
The mural depicts a judge in a wig hitting a protester with a gavel. Banksy confirmed that he created the work by publishing an image on his website and Instagram account.
The Ministry of Justice told the BBC in response to a freedom-of-information request that $67,000 had been spent removing paint from the wall of the Grade II-listed building on Carey Street. A further $47,000 was spent on overtime and security.
"The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building, and HMCTS is obliged to maintain its original appearance," His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service said.
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There has been debate over whether Banksy's work constitutes vandalism or valuable public art, particularly when it appears on historic buildings. The artist, who emerged from Bristol's graffiti scene in the 1990s, is one of the world's best-known street artists. His works have sold at auction for more than $24 million.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said it was "outrageous" that taxpayers' money was being spent cleaning up after the artist. "Our courts are a national symbol of justice and the rule of law," he said. "Banksy's vandalism must be stopped, and he must pay the costs he imposes on others."
However, art historian Estelle Lovatt defended Banksy's work and highlighted its benefits for tourism. "Some people visit Buckingham Palace, while others visit Banksy's works," she told the BBC. "His work brings people together in a way that politics can divide us. He is like the Pied Piper or a town crier."
"Having a mural appear on your house can be frightening because of the crowds of people, but he makes art accessible because entry to a gallery is free."
The first attempts to remove the mural were unsuccessful, and contractors have since been using laser technology. If Westminster City Council considers the result unsatisfactory, another cleaning method will be required. As a last resort, the damaged stonework could be removed and replaced.
An application has also been submitted for permission to install fencing around the wall where the mural appeared, as part of works involving a listed building. The cost of installation is not yet known.
Another Banksy work cost Westminster City Council almost £60,000.
In April, a statue of a person carrying a flag appeared in Waterloo Place in the capital, near Trafalgar Square. Banksy claimed responsibility by posting a video of the nighttime installation on Instagram.
The council said it had spent more than $80,000 on protective fencing, administrative costs and a security guard to monitor the statue.
"Ownership of the statue now belongs to the council as the landowner," the statement said. "The council informed the artist's agent that it was considering options for the short, medium and long term."
In August 2024, another Banksy work appeared on a police sentry box in the City of London. The artist painted a shoal of piranhas above the box, which had been installed in the 1990s as part of security measures against the IRA.
The box was subsequently dismantled. It is due to be exhibited at the Museum of London after its reopening in November.