IS BEASTIE Gloucester's very own Banksy?
City MP Richard Graham thinks so – and the graffiti artist is building quite a portfolio.
His latest creation is on hoardings off Brunswick Road opposite the Gloucester City Museum and depicts a violin player, blue butterflies, and a large face holding their hand to their ear.
In the past, a chimp drinking from a cup of tea was also scrawled by Beastie on the boards opposite Gloucester Library.
But is it art or is it just mindless vandalism?
Mr Graham said: "Beastie is Gloucester's Banksy. He brings life to our streets and boardings and I hope he does lots more – could he do a small one on our garage door please?
"One day we could have a treasure hunt of Beasties in the city centre."
And Beastie's images don't stand alone in Gloucester. In recent months, several images have been painted, stencilled and sprayed on walls and hoardings.
An image of an armchair and a footstool was discovered on top of the NCP car park above the Eastgate Shopping Centre in January.
And before Christmas, an image of the Cat in the Hat was found high up in the Oxebode above the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.
In February, Dr Seuss characters Thing 1 and Thing 2 appeared on the hoardings near the Greyfriars site, as did other designs like cartoon Felix.
Gloucester city councillor Paul Toleman (C, Westgate) insists there is a line between whether the graffiti is acceptable or not.
He said: "I have seen some amazing graffiti in the past. Once I went to Berlin and it was incredible there.
"If it is good and it hasn't been done on someone's property then fine, I haven't got a problem with it, but if it's scruffy and is just a word or two then it is definitely vandalism.
"I don't mind it on these hoardings, they won't be there forever anyway."
Meanwhile, visitors to our website have had their say on graffiti, with 57 per cent of them saying it is more art than vandalism.
