The legendary artist known as Banksy is believed to have been caught on video just hours after his latest graffiti creation appeared on the side of a bridge.
Footage has emerged of what looks to be the elusive artist acting shifty while sporting a baseball cap and sunglasses to shield his identity.
Banksy took responsibility for a piece of art slapped to the side of the disused Scott Street Bridge in Hull, East Yorks., on Friday (Jan 26).
But it was business owner Richard Tilson, 39, who was alerted to a white Mercedes sprinter van carrying the artist outside premises just 24 hours earlier.
He took a video of the people in the van because he thought they were scoping out his scrap car business – but it turned out to be Banksy.
Mr Tilson, owner of All Spares Hull ltd, said: “I hadn’t heard of Banksy until I got home from work on Friday and put two and two together.
“I then showed my daughter the footage of this dodgy bloke down our street and then as the story broke she told me that it could have been him.
“She’s an artist herself so she was disappointing that I had seen him, but at the time I thought he was casing the place out to come back and steal some of our parts.
“My wife had come to tell me about the van so I then decided to take pictures of the number plate and film him inside, but he was just looking down at the phone.
“The driver had got out and so I followed him down the road when he took a picture of the artwork on the bridge.”
Mr Tilson spotted the van initially parked near his premises at around 9am on Thursday.
But it wasn’t until 24 hours later that Banksy confirmed responsibility for the work which depicted a boy holding a pencil sword with the words ‘Draw The Raised Bridge’.
More ‘trademark Banksy’ work also appeared at the same time in a nearby street – but it is yet to be claimed by the urban graffiti artist.
It read: “There must be more to life than writing ‘There must be more to life’ on the walls.'”
The artist Banksy, who is believed to be from Bristol after starting out his career in the mid-90s, has never released his identity.
Some believe Banksy may actually be a loose collective of artists all using his trademark tag on their work.
Mr Tilson added: “I just can’t believe that there was this millionaire sat in this van spraying paint on to wall.
“Personally, I’m about 95 per cent certain it is him. If it looks like him online then it has got to be – too much adds up.”
