Is Banksy back? Mystery statue of man covered by a flag appears in London

A new statue, which appeared in central London yesterday, has spurred discussion over its creator, with some thinking it’s the elusive artist, Banksy .

The statue shows a man marching off the end of a plinth, holding a flag pole with the fabric of the flag covering his entire face.

Sitting next to the Crimean War Memorial in Waterloo Place, the installation appeared overnight.

Some passersby saw Banksy’s famous signature at the bottom of the installation, but it hasn’t been confirmed.

Still, crowds have gathered around the art piece and snapped photos of the mysterious statue.

Banksy typically claims art as his own by posting on Instagram , but so far, there are no new posts.

In March, a new investigation claimed to have unmasked the elusive artist, who hasn’t come forward publicly in three decades.

The street artist rose to prominence in the 1990s and is famous for his spray-painted murals with anti-authoritarian and anti-war messages, which have appeared at various sites around the world.

His distinctive graffiti and striking public artworks have captured global attention, but his personal life and identity remain shrouded in mystery.

The discussion around the artist’s identity has been reignited after an investigative report uncovered fresh claims about who the real Banksy is.

Former ‘public schoolboy’ Robin Gunningham was thrown into the spotlight again following fresh allegations he was the man New York police arrested in 2000 after reports someone had defaced a billboard on Hudson Street.

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Reuters launched an investigation to track down Banksy’s true identity after his well-known stencil artwork was found on a building in Ukraine , prompting the outlet to find out how he was able to travel to the country to create his art.

One key piece of information suggests Gunningham is the true identity behind Banksy.

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In September 2000, the New York Police Department arrested a man after he defaced a billboard atop a building on 675 Hudson Street, New York City.

Police documents show a handwritten note confessing to the incident, signed by Gunningham.

However, the name itself has long been speculated, after the report claimed Gunningham may have changed his legal name to David Jones in 2008.

For now, his identity remains a secret.

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