Helen Bach Column: Wild at Art - The New Banksy Trail

It also transpires that one man's urban art is another man's criminal damage - at least that's how I heard one of the recent Banksy pictures described, in this case piranhas in an aquarium magnificently spray-painted onto a Police sentry box in the City of London.

Yes, I guess strictly speaking it is, but it seems a little bit churlish to call it that, doesn't it?!

The collection of nine Banksys which have popped up around London over the Summer have made me smile, and in my opinion have been something positive to admire and discuss.

I once made a pilgrimage to Cromer to view a new Banksy, only to find that the district council had shut the area in order to preserve the artwork, and I never have seen it in situ; I'm not even sure if it's still there?

Anyway, of the recent London ones, my particular favourites have been the pelicans 'fishing' over the fish and chip shop sign, and the rhino getting a piggy-back ride (ahem!) from a Nissan Micra car complete with a cone on its bonnet. Funny and clever, slightly cheeky.

The other ones which have appeared are a goat, two elephants, three monkeys, a howling wolf on a satellite dish which was quickly removed, a stretching cat, and the final one was a gorilla 'lifting' the shutters at London Zoo and letting out some of the animals.

I read one analysis of the pieces which said they should be looked at in reverse, so the gorilla has 'released' the other animals in the series.

What it has done has provoked thought, discussion, widespread interest and no doubt increased visitors to the areas. I wonder if he could pop up to Northamptonshire and create a few pieces here?!