Train passenger calls himself Banksy and gives schoolboy art 'worth £20k'

Train passenger calls himself Banksy and gives schoolboy art 'worth £20k'
Train passenger calls himself Banksy and gives schoolboy art 'worth £20k'



A train passenger claiming to be Banksy has given a schoolboy a signed copy of an iconic print while travelling in Cumbria.

Ben Azarya, 14, who was on a train in Oxenholme, says the man introduced himself as Robin Banks before handing him the print.

The gesture was made after Ben helped 'Banksy' pick up paints that he dropped on the floor.

According to the Mirror, giving the picture to the boy, Banksy said: "This will be worth about £20,000 - have a good life."

Ben had no idea who Banksy was before he got home and googled him.

According to the NY Daily News, Ben said: "He was on the phone for most of the time talking to someone called AK47.

"He opened his rucksack and had a gas mask and spray paints inside. He got out a piece of paper and had colours marked on it of what he had been trying out and he dropped his colours.

"I picked them up for him and after that he started signing it in weird letters and numbers. He said 'do you know who Robin Banks is?'

"I said no and he said 'this will be worth about £20,000 - have a good life, brother.'"

So what does the elusive artist look like? According to the Daily Mail, Ben said: "White, in his late 40s. He was wearing scruffy clothes and he had a black, fluffy hat which looked really old.

"He had a little jacket that didn't go over his arms and jeans with paint on. He looked really wacky and had blonde hair and blue eyes."

Ben and his mum are now in the process of getting the print authenticated, and Ben says he has no worries about selling it if it's the real deal, adding: "I will probably spend about £1,000 and get a new phone and save the rest."



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