Another Arrest Made as Banksy's Artwork is Taken Down in Peckham

Police have announced the arrest of a second man on suspicion of theft and criminal damage after a road sign featuring the work of renowned street artist Banksy was removed in south-east London. The artwork, a red stop sign embellished with three military drones, was revealed in Commercial Way, Peckham, on Friday. The first arrest, of a man in his 20s, occurred on Saturday, and he has since been released on bail pending further investigation. The Metropolitan Police state that the second individual, a man in his 40s, remains in custody. Witnesses captured footage of the sign being taken by a man equipped with bolt cutters less than an hour after Banksy authenticated the artwork on his Instagram account. The Metropolitan Police initiated an inquiry following a report of theft by Southwark Council and urge anyone with information to contact them. In a subsequent video circulating on social media, one man steadies a Lime hire bike while another cuts the artwork free using bolt cutters. Once removed, the man swiftly ran away. To prevent any harm to the public, the local authority installed a new traffic sign on Friday after the artwork was taken down. Followers of Banksy on Instagram have widely interpreted his latest creation as a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Similar drone-themed art was featured at Banksy's Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem in 2017, which he humorously dubbed as having "the worst view of any hotel in the world," alluding to Israel's contentious wall in the West Bank.