Vandals take offence at Banksy’s Valentine’s Day graffiti by daubing ‘W****RS’ across it

Vandals have ruined a new Valentine’s Day-inspired Banksy masterpiece by sprawling ‘w****rs’ across the street art in spray paint just 24 hours after he confirmed it was genuine.

Explicit graffiti has been sprayed in huge red letters across the art, which is seen on the side of a house, in the Barton Hill area, Bristol.

The work was confirmed by Banksy himself as being authentic at midnight after being discovered by residents on Thursday.

But the artwork- showing a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers – has been ruined just 48 hours after being created.

Sometime during the night vandals have scrawled huge graffiti right over the top of the precious painting and the protective plastic screen placed over it has been vandalised.

Kelly Woodruff, who helps manage the rented home where it is displayed, said the Bristol area had a ‘complete buzz of excitement’ when the art work was spotted on February 13. 

Residents in the Barton Hill area named the ‘incredible and beautiful’ work as the Valentine’s Banksy.     

The act of vandalism on the side of the house comes after vandals tore down a protective screen less than 24 hours after it was first discovered in Birmingham.

The building’s delighted owner swiftly paid £250 to erect a perspex screen over the art to protect it.

But yesterday morning he discovered vandals had destroyed the protective screen though, miraculously, the artwork had survived undamaged.

However to locals’ despair, famous street artist Banksy’s latest work may be ruined forever after criminals defaced it with red paint.

The Bristol-based graffitist is known to create his masterpieces in darkness – leaving the scene before anyone can spot him.