A NEW Banksy mural which was ruined by jobsworth council workers has been dismantled again in a bizarre twist.
The artwork on the side of a building in Margate, Kent, originally showed a bruised 1950s housewife in an apron and washing-up gloves pushing a man into a freezer.
The faceless artist confirmed it was his latest piece on Instagram.
The mural, titled Valentine's Day Mascara, highlights the issue of violence against women.
But just 24 hours after the artwork was first spotted, council workers removed the freezer – leaving behind a blank space.
Thanet Council later made a U-turn, putting the freezer back in place – after a bizarre interlude in which it was replaced by a wheelie bin.
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In a still stranger twist, the freezer has now been removed again, hours after the council put it back.
London's Red Eight Gallery said the freezer was back in storage with permission from the homeowner, before a permanent home can be found for the entire work.
Julian Usher, the gallery's chief executive, said: "The homeowners have stipulated that they wish a local charity supporting prevention of domestic abuse against women to benefit along with the piece being used to raise awareness in Margate and nationally.
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"We are in conversation with civil engineers and building contractors regarding the safe removal of the piece.
"Regarding the freezer the council removed it to make it safe and we have protected the wall with a Perspex cover.
"The freezer has been returned by the council and is currently in storage for safe keeping until it can be reunited with the art once the wall has been removed."
He added that the owner is "grateful" for Banksy's gift and will do "everything possible" to promote the prevention of domestic abuse, honour the Margate community and preserve the artwork.
The homeowners also said: "We were not, in our wildest dreams expecting this. Without the support and quick actions of Red Eight Gallery, we have no doubt the artwork would not still be intact.
"We'll do our best to respect the major parties involved but our key focus is raising the awareness of domestic abuse against women."
North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale defended the local council's decision to dismantle the new Banksy artwork, conceding that it had been "heavy-handed".
He said: "I think it's an extremely impressive and extremely clever piece of art.
"And I hope and believe that it can and it should be preserved and displayed safely so that as many people as possible can see it."
"I know there are people who are saying, 'Oh they should never have done this, they should have left it as it was'."
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"You can't. "If you've got something as potentially dangerous as a chest freezer into which a child could climb (into) and suffocate, you actually can't responsibly just leave it.
"You have to do something about it to make it safe."
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