Bit depressing that these paintings are now never going to be on walls long enough to be able to go and see them... maybe he should just paint on motorway bridges or the like from now on.

BBC News: "And coming up... the pharmacy that's seen the fortune on the wall..."

the art "expert" claims there's no way of knowing its a banksy??

none but the ken auction...idiot!

What was he on about? "No way of knowing it's a Banksy."

What, apart from looking at the canvas that he did for Red Ken with exactly the same image on it???

Haway man - dee your research!

I'm thinking of a career change...something in exterior painting restoration maybe...or should i just save up and buy an end terraced property with a great big blank canvas of a wall! This is where the money is in the last month!

So true, all the touch ups that are going on as well really suggest a little xmas number is being planned.

Any links to the news footage for those of us that are not in London ?

Before the Portobello piece went up on eBay the owner asked us over on Flickr what we thought he should do with it. He respected it, but his problem was that it was constantly being vandalized and it was costing him a fortune to preserve it, so he opted for selling it. Some thought he should let it stay and decay, but that wouldn't help his dilemma with maintaining the building. I don't know what the ordinances are on Portobello Road, but across the puddle here, neglected property can result in stiff fines. I'm not trying to take sides, just trying to see all sides.

are you ray winstone?

Dunno.....when the news reporter mentioned it was worth ~£300,000 the shop owners eyes lit up.

here come the men in black! gotta love that bloke!

And if we asked ourselves seriously,I think the majority would sell the shit out of it for 200,000-it would pay my house off and change my life.
Maybe If it got sold to someone who would allow people to enjoy it-that would be a decent middle ground-I could drive to the national museum in my diamond encrusted hummer rollin on dubz-big pimpin style!!!!

a few points here

1.It just goes to show te greed that pervades society as a whole, and how scurrilous we are. Banksy must be laughing about how everyone runs around like headless chickens about his work, and how valuable it is.

2. I don’t believe for one minute that anybody on here, would not sell a banksy piece on the side of their house. Each and every one of us would sell it (be it to a musuem, a collector). If overnight 150,000 pound was painted on your wall you'd be seeing dollar signs. you wouldn't take the moral high ground and preserve it would you. paranoia would set in. is anybody stealing it-I should just sell it bedfore somebody takes it. Money makes the world go around. For sure, if I left a banksy piece on my house wall, some jealous person would splash paint on it. that’s just society's envy. Neg me all you like, but art v real money, just ask yourself. It'd be gone in a second. I say fair play to the guy, he got lucky. everyone here is jealous. it’s the same jealousy that you see after every banksy realase. the houlier than thou attitude here makes me laugh.

3. If banksy is so bothered about buisnesses profiteering from his work (and I don’t think he is, otherwise, why would he just paint on random walls) then why doesn't he start painting on school walls, charity shop windows, let them make some money if its going to be sold, then sell it to a good cause…

I would rather see this ruined by something like a car being burnt out infront of it than sold. Why should the chemist make a profit on it.Banksy's worked really hard to get his name out there. I wonder if he would've painted it there if he knew it might be sold. If this keeps happening i reckon we will start seeing less street stuff by the man.

Has anyone considered that maybe, given his anonimity, Banksy is leaving pieces on the walls of establishments or people that somehow have touched his life? Perhaps the pharmacist was particularly helpful when he was ill, or maybe he had an amazing night hanging out with the old geezers at Bethnal Green Working Mens Club. Or maybe he researches the owners who might benefit from the sale of his work. It's a long shot, but food for thought.