'Racist' Banksy mural destroyed

ESSEX, England, Oct. 2 (UPI) —

The city council of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex destroyed a satirical mural painted by the famous street artist Banksy after it was deemed "racist."

The piece is a satirical comment on the U.K. Independence Party and their Euro-resistant sentiment a week away from the by election triggered by the defection of the local MP Douglas Carswell.

The mural shows a group of pigeons holding anti-immigration banners with the words "Migrants not welcome," "Go back to Africa" and "Keep off our worms" against an exotic, non-native-looking bird.

Banksy, known for making political statements through his work, aimed to take a stance against the anti-migrant and anti-immigrant policies in the U.K.

The council painted over the work after some found it offensive.

Banksy confirmed the work was his, but only after it was painted over. The council would have probably reconsidered as Banksy pieces have been known to fetch about 400,000 pounds ($645,000).

"It must say something about the swirling currents of prejudice, fear and anger in modern Britain that even Banksy cannot predict their next bizarre lurch," said the Guardian’s art critic Jonathan Jones. "If this picture scared anyone it must be because the pigeons’ views are just too close to real opinions in the air — the satire is so accurate that it can be mistaken for reality."