An artwork by Banksy in Margate has been dismantled by the local council just hours after the artist claimed it as his.

The piece called ‘Valentine's day mascara’ shows a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, apparently shutting a man in a freezer, and also incorporated a broken fridge freezer.

Thanet District Council said the graffiti is situated on a wall of a privately owned property but the freezer was removed as it was on public land and was now in storage.

It would be returned ‘once it has been made safe to the public’, and the council would be contacting the property’s owner to discuss how the artwork could be preserved.

The elusive artist published a picture of the work on his Instagram page on Valentine's Day morning, and many of the comments suggest he is referencing fighting violence against women.

The resident of the property where the painting is situated, who asked not to be named, said the freezer and other items had been removed very quickly and put into a truck.

Asked how she felt about the removal, she said: ‘I'm absolutely upset because it's not really nice.

‘It was part of the art, they should be very happy because Margate could get bigger attention, positive attention.’

In a statement Thanet District Council said: ‘We are aware that the graffiti artist known as Banksy has confirmed that the mural that has appeared recently in Margate is his.

‘The graffiti is situated on a wall of a privately owned property. A fridge freezer which is believed to have been part of the installation has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land.

‘The fridge freezer is now in storage and will be returned once it has been made safe to the public.

‘We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district.’