A controversial £3m Banksy mural has now finally been removed from the side of a building in a seaside resort to the anger of some residents.

The final section of the giant mural - which depicted a seagull snatching a chip from skip - was removed by specialist workmen at night earlier this week.

The complete removal of the mural sparked anger in the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, because it had become a much loved landmark.

The mural was painted by the street artist, appeared on the side of the house in August 2021 as part of Banksy's 'Great British Spraycation.'

An onlooker, who was present while the demolition job took place, said "it's sad to see it go" describing the mural as a "gift to the town".

After the top half of the artwork was removed last month, the main installation was removed in a late night operation on Monday night (May 22).

The final section of the wall was lifted from the side of the building by a crane this week and taken away on a large low loader lorry.

Security officers were at the scene as a small crowd gathered, while the two-hour operation was documented by a film crew who had access to the whole building.

Now, with the wall removed, a gaping hole has appeared in the side of the house on Katwijk Way is all that remains.

The artwork on the building is in private ownership - with East Suffolk Council having no control over its destiny.

Last month, the mayor said he had been reassured the wall had not been covered up in order for the mural to be removed and that work was being carried out to stabilise it.

Garry Freeman, 52, of building firm Freeman Brickworks - which carried out the structural removal - said it had now gone into storage, "somewhere in the UK", but could not confirm whether it would be sold or included in any exhibitions.

Garry, from Enfield, North London, said: "People have been coming and going to watch the work being done.

"We've been working inside the scaffolding behind a sheet so not many people can see what's happening.

"But the reason we did it at night wasn't to do it discreetly, it was because we had to get the adjacent road closed off.

"The end wall itself was falling down anyway and the brickwork was loose so it would have to have been teared down eventually. It was unsafe."

Modern art dealer John Brandler had previously valued the mural between £1m and £3m and expressed his disappointment about the decision to tear it down.

John, 70, said: "The seagull is world famous; it would have brought tens of thousands of visitors to the town if not hundreds of thousands.

"An American offered to buy the house and give it to the council free of charge to use for social housing and allow the town to benefit from keeping it - but no one was interested.

"The value of the Banksy mural to the town is not the money that changes hands when it's sold, its the amount of money which now won't be brought in over the next ten years."

An East Suffolk Council spokesman said: "While we are naturally disappointed by the reported removal of the Banksy seagull from the side of a building in Lowestoft, it is ultimately the right of the owner to make decisions about their own property.

"We acknowledge that Banksy's works, by their nature, may not always be permanent features.

"We remain grateful for the attention that Banksy has brought to Lowestoft – a town with a burgeoning arts and cultural scene that will continue to go from strength to strength."