Statue with Bansky's signature appears in London

A large new statue has appeared in central London that appears to bear the signature of the elusive street artist Banksy.

The sculpture of a suited man marching forward off a plinth, while carrying a flag with one hand that also covers his face, was first spotted in St James's on Wednesday.

It sits on Waterloo Place, near statues of Edward VII, Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War Memorial.

'Banksy' has been scrawled onto the bottom of the plinth, leading to speculation the artist is behind it, although Banksy has not confirmed the work is his.

Banksy - whose real identity is not officially known - has staged high-profile works around the world, but his most recent pieces have all appeared in London.

In December, a mural appeared in Bayswater of two children lying on the ground, while in September, he claimed to have painted a scene on the Royal Courts of Justice complex of a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard while a judge looms over him, wielding a gavel.

In 2024, the street artist created an animal trail around the capital with pieces featuring a goat, elephants, a gorilla, monkeys, piranhas, a rhino and pelicans among other animals.

Each time, they appeared to have been installed covertly and later confirmed as his work on his Instagram account.

His works, usually painted on private property, are widely interpreted as political statements and are often removed soon after they appear.