Banksy Statue Stays Put in Waterloo Place — London News
London news on May 1 centered on a new statue possibly by Banksy that was still standing in Waterloo Place after appearing overnight in central London. The work showed a suited man blinded by a wind-blown flag as he walked unknowingly off a tall pedestal.
Banksy’s Instagram account posted a video on Thursday that seemed to tie him to the piece, and authorities had already put safety barriers around it as crowds gathered. London authorities said they did not plan to remove the statue.
Waterloo Place statue
Banksy’s signature was scrawled along the base of the plinth on Wednesday morning, adding to the case that the artist was behind the installation. Philip Mould, speaking in an Instagram video near the statue, said: “Personally, I think what’s rather clever about it is he’s got the proportions perfectly right for the space” and “I also rather like it when art, which is often forgotten, can be controversial, can be stimulating in this way.”
Mould speculated that the statue is made of fiberglass and said it shared a similar height and finish to the other statues in Waterloo Place. Nearby monuments include statues of King Edward VII and Florence Nightingale, the Crimean War Memorial, and several other monuments to military figures, dukes and lords.
Banksy and public works
Ollie Isaac, a 23-year-old student, said: “With Banksy, it’s a limited time event because it’s public art—you don't know how long it’s going to be up,” while standing in Waterloo Place. The London mayor’s office said Banksy has a great ability to inspire people from a range of backgrounds to enjoy modern art, and said his work always draws great interest and debate.
The latest piece fits into a run of public work that has not stayed static for long. In September 2025, Banksy painted a mural on the Royal Courts of Justice depicting a judge bludgeoning a protester with a gavel, and authorities swiftly destroyed it. Days before Christmas in 2025, he unveiled two identical black-and-white murals of two children lying on their backs and gazing up.
May 1 in central London
Banksy installed The Drinker in London in 2004, and his Girl with Balloon series debuted in London in 2002. The new statue’s survival through Thursday and into May 1 leaves it on display in one of central London’s most prominent public spaces, where the question is not who noticed it but how long the city lets it remain in place.
