Two men have been charged with burglary after a Banksy artwork was stolen from a London gallery.
Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, appeared in Wimbledon Crown Court yesterday charged with burglary of a non-dwelling property after the girl and balloon were stolen.
Following investigations by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, the work has been recovered and will be returned.
Fraser, from Beckton, East London, and Love, from North Stifford, Essex, were charged with burglary of a non-dwelling property on Thursday, September 11, and remanded in custody by police.
Both appeared in court on Thursday, September 12, where they were released on bail to appear at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, October 9.
Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, have been charged with burglary after Banksy’s Girl with Balloon (pictured) was stolen from a London gallery on New Cavendish Street
The investigation was launched following a break-in at a gallery on New Cavendish Street at around 11pm on Sunday 8 September.
A statement from the Met Police revealed that Banksy’s Girl with Balloon was the only item stolen. It has since been recovered and will be returned to the gallery.
The work, which depicts a young girl with black graffiti who has just released a red heart-shaped balloon, is one of the street artist’s most recognizable works.
It was first seen in 2002 on the South Bank of Waterloo, next to the quote: ‘There is always hope.’
More to come.