Stolen Banksy returned to gallery and value may have 'skyrocketed'

A gallery manager has said he was “horrified and petrified” after a Banksy artwork was stolen from his central London venue.
The £270,000 print, called Girl with Balloon and numbered 72 of 150, may now have “skyrocketed” in value after being taken from the Grove Gallery on Sunday but also quickly recovered by the Metropolitan Police, according to gallery manager Lindor Mehmetaj.
Two men have appeared in court charged with burglary.
The artwork, described by Mr Mehmetaj as “iconic”, was part of a exhibition showcasing a £1.5 million collection of Banksy pieces.
Police said it was the only item stolen and it has now been recovered and will be returned to the gallery. On Friday, Mr Mehmetaj said: “I noticed at the gallery front door, the window was totally smashed and there was loads of glass everywhere.
“Unfortunately, when I came closer to the gallery I noticed that one of our iconic Banksy pieces had been stolen.”
He said he was “horrified and petrified” when he realised it had been taken, adding: “It is quite hard to put into words what it feels like when someone has violated our gallery and stolen a piece of artwork.”
Mr Mehmetaj also noted that “historically” it can take years for disappeared artwork to be recovered, if at all.
He added that thanks to the Metropolitan Police this was not the case, and “it is so pleasing to see it again in the flesh again, so we are very lucky, but it is very unusual to have it recovered”.
Asked if he had spoken to Banksy about the incident, Mr Mehmetaj said: “No comment.”
Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, have been charged with non-residential burglary.
An investigation was launched after a burglary at the gallery in New Cavendish Street at around 11pm on Sunday.
Fraser, of Evelyn Denington Road, Beckton, east London, and Love, of Elvin Drive, North Stifford, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where they were bailed ahead of appearing at Kingston Crown Court on October 9.
According to court documents, the pair allegedly entered Grove Gallery as trespassers and stole the “Girl With Balloon print to the value of £270,000”.
A representative for Banksy declined to comment.
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