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THIS is the shocking moment a burglar stole Banksy’s iconic Girl with Balloon artwork from a London gallery.
The thief who stole the £270,000-worth signed print has now been jailed.
CCTV footage caught the “dramatic smash-and-grab” late night robbery which was carried out on a September evening last year.
The prized possession pictures a stencil of a young girl reaching for a balloon that is shaped like a heart and floating away.
A man wearing a mask, gloves and a hooded jacket can be seen trying to smash the front door of the Grove Gallery in London.
He first uses his body to try to break the glass, and then a hammer to finish it off.
He then climbs through the shattered front door to enter the gallery.
The burglar reaches for the frame closest to the door, and swiftly takes it off where it is hanging.
Holding on to the print, he climbs back through the broken glass door and runs off into the street.
Further CCTV images captured show the thief running through the streets of London with the Banksy, before eventually driving off in a black van.
Larry Fraser, 49, was sentenced today to 13 months in jail for stealing the “Girl with Balloon” that evening on September 8, 2024.
He had pleaded guilty to one count of non-residential burglary at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, October 9.
The Beckton man was arrested at his home within 48-hours of the burglary on Wednesday, September 11, and charged the next day.
Following enquiries and a warrant, police were able to find the artwork on the Isle of Dogs.
Flying Squad’s Scott Mather, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “Banksy’s Girl with Balloon is known across the world – and we reacted immediately to not just bring Fraser to justice but also reunite the artwork with the gallery.
“The speed at which this took place is a testament to the tireless work of the Flying Squad officers – in total it took just four days for normality to be restored.
“We recognise the concern and distress that commercial robberies cause for businesses and the communities around them.
“The Met is committed to working with Londoners and will act quickly when crimes have taken place to make the city a safer place.”
The Grove Gallery’s manager has thanked police for their “remarkable” work in both recovering the artwork and finding the culprit.
Lindor Mehmetaj, 29, said: “I was completely, completely shocked, but in a very, very positive way when the Flying Squad showed me the actual artwork.
“It’s very hard to put into words, the weight that comes off your shoulders.
“The way that they dealt with it from the moment they arrived on the scene – pragmatic, logical, very composed and ultimately professional.
“But also, to have the artwork recovered after it had been robbed from us is remarkable.”
A second man who was arrested in relation to the theft was found not guilty of non-residential burglary following trial on September 19.
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