Banksy mural to be protected in offices makeover

Not so long ago, his work was viewed with suspicion and scepticism - but the street artist Banksy has become so popular that developers are incorporating one of his most famous murals into a multimillion-pound office and shop development.

There were concerns that the mural, The Mild Mild West, which shows a teddy bear about to hurl a petrol bomb at riot police, could be lost when the block in Bristol was made over.



Instead it is to be incorporated into the new development and will form the centrepiece of an atrium with an organic cafe. The mural, one of Banksy's most celebrated, will be protected from the elements and attack from vandals by glass.

Gavin Carpenter, of Connolly and Callaghan, which owns the building in Stokes Croft, said the atrium would be open to everyone. "I think people assumed the worst when they heard about the development. They thought the mural would go. But Banksy is very much the man of the moment and this will bring some kudos to the development."