Season's greetings from Banksy and friends

It used to be a Clarks shoeshop, though the stabbed teddy bear with a kitchen knife still dangling from its stomach in the window should give away its change of occupancy. Inside, the only shoes you will find are on the feet of bodies which look real but are models. One appears to have put his head through a wall.

This is Santa's Ghetto, a gallery and amusement arcade founded by the elusive graffiti artist Banksy, which opens for 23 days in London's West End to show art as well as selling affordable works.

"I felt the spirit of Christmas was being lost," said Banksy (real name possibly Robin Banks or Robert Banks, or possibly neither). "It was becoming increasingly uncommercialised and more and more to do with religion so we decided to open our own shop and sell pointless stuff you didn't need."



Inside is an entertaining mixed bag of work from about 20 underground artists which might make battling the Oxford Street throngs a touch more bearable, although following the instructions on one of Ben Turnbull's Break In The Case Of Emergency boxes may not be advisable. A handgun is inside.

Banksy's work is spottable. In one big painting depicting the wicked witch and Hansel and Gretel, the witch has been replaced by singer Michael Jackson trying to entice the children with a candy walking stick.

The Santa's Ghetto "squat art concept store" began five years ago and has been in various locations around London, though this is the first time it has alighted on Oxford Street, right next door to Tottenham Court Road tube station.

In the last three years the store has been located in Carnaby Street in 2003, Charing Cross Road in 2004 and last year in Soho.

There are more photos from the Oxford Street shop here.