Banksy elephant artwork restored and protected after being vandalised

A Banksy artwork, part of his recent London animal collection, has been restored and safeguarded with an "anti-graffiti solution" after it was vandalised.

The piece, which adorns the side of a house in Chelsea, south-west London, portrays two elephants peeking out from blocked-out windows. Unveiled last month, the artwork was defaced, with white stripes painted over the extended trunk of one of the elephants.

Kensington and Chelsea Council have since erased the unwanted lines and applied a layer of anti-graffiti solution that protects the surface without altering its appearance. The elephants, which appeared on the property in Edith Terrace in August, are the second Banksy piece in the Kensington and Chelsea area, with a previous mural located on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

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Josh Rendall, a councillor for the Stanley ward where the piece is situated, said: "We were delighted to discover Banksy had come back to Kensington and Chelsea to add another unique piece to our borough's rich cultural landscape.

"It was disappointing when it was painted over and we have been quick to return the elephants to their former glory by removing the unwanted paint, applying an anti-graffiti solution and cleaning up the surrounding area. We hope residents and visitors enjoy this and our other Banksy piece on Portobello Road for many years to come."

The acclaimed Bristol artist kicked off a series of animal-themed murals in the capital on August 5, revealing a striking goat image with rocks tumbling down and a security camera observing it, located by Kew Bridge in London's south-west. This installation was followed up by silhouettes of two elephants, then images of three monkeys that appeared to be swinging from a bridge in East London.

Banksys next masterpiece featured a howling wolf perched atop a satellite dish in Peckham, but to the disappointment of art lovers, this piece was removed within an hour of its appearance online a move described as a "great shame" by a witness. Afterwards, Banksy delighted locals with his depiction of pelicans stealing fish from the signage of Bonners Fish Bar in Walthamstow, earning a thumbs-up from area MP Stella Creasy.

Next came a feline silhouette crafted on an abandoned, worn ad billboard, only for it to be later taken apart by trio claiming they were employed by a contracting company for removal due to safety concerns, according to their explanation at the scene. When police arrived, an officer reported the billboard owner had communicated intentions to gift the artwork to a gallery.

In a sudden turn, the day following the cat mural being dismantled, Banksy verified another of his pieces: an assembly of fish painted on a City of London police box.

The City of London's governing body has been actively working on ways to "preserve" a piece of street art, which was temporarily moved to the City of London Corporation's offices for protection.

This move came after another artwork featuring a rhino seemingly getting frisky with a silver Nissan Micra, complete with a traffic cone on its bonnet, was vandalised with graffiti.

The final addition to this urban art collection was unveiled at the entrance of London Zoo, depicting a gorilla seemingly lifting the shutter to free a flock of birds, while the watchful eyes of other creatures peer out from the shadows. However, just days later, this artwork too was whisked away for "safekeeping" and to ensure that the zoo could fully utilise its entrance during the peak of the "busy summer period".