Tourism09 August, 20262 min read
Banksy Works Cost UK Taxpayers Nearly £150,000 For Cleaning And Security In London
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Three Banksy artworks in London cost taxpayers almost £150,000 for cleaning and security. The largest expense (£85,000+) relates to the Royal Courts of Justice mural removal and security.
Banksy bills hit £150,000
Three Banksy artworks in London have cost taxpayers almost £150,000 in cleaning operations and security so far, with the bill expected to rise. The largest single cost relates to a mural painted on the Royal Courts of Justice in London in September 2025, where removal efforts and security have so far cost more than £85,000.
The Ministry of Justice says it has spent £50,000 trying to remove paint from the wall of the Grade II-listed building in Carey Street, and a further £35,300 was spent on overtime and security costs. Banksy claimed the image as his own work by posting it on his website and Instagram account, and the mural depicted a judge in a wig battering a protester with his gavel.
Tourism defense vs vandalism
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said it was “outrageous” that taxpayers’ money was being spent cleaning up after the artist, arguing “Banksy’s vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill for the costs he imposes on others.” Art critic Estelle Lovatt defended Banksy’s work and highlighted benefits for tourism, telling the BBC: “Some people visit Buckingham Palace and others visit Banksy’s art.”
Lovatt added that “He makes art accessible because there’s no gallery fee,” while the HM Courts and Tribunals Service said, “The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.” The Metropolitan Police confirmed that on Monday, 8 September officers received a report of criminal damage to the side of the Royal Courts of Justice, and “At this time, no arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.”
What happens next for visitors
Westminster City Council has also spent almost £60,000 on a Banksy statue in Waterloo Place near Trafalgar Square, and the council said it is reviewing options for the short, medium and long term. The BBC reported that a piranha fish mural painted on a City of London Police sentry box in August 2024 cost £2,200 to remove, and the box was never replaced.
If Westminster City Council considers the result of the Royal Courts of Justice mural removal inadequate, contractors are using “laser technology,” and another cleaning method will be required. As a final option, the affected stonework may have to be removed and replaced, and a Listed Building Consent application has been submitted for railings across the wall where the mural appeared, with the cost “not yet known.”