A mural by street artist Banksy has been vandalised just two weeks after it appeared on a wall in a seaside town.

The piece, called Art Buff, depicts an older woman staring at an empty plinth while wearing headphones with her hands clasped behind her back.

But yesterday evening, a spray-painted penis was added to the plinth of the artwork in Payers Park in Folkestone, Kent.

The damage is not expected to be permanent as clear plastic sheeting was placed over the mural not long after it appeared.

Visitors flocked to admire the stencil-style "guerrilla" art when it arrived last month and Shepway District Council said it would work with the owner of the building to ensure it remained undamaged.

The Banksy website also showed pictures of the wall before and after the artwork appeared and claimed the image is "Part Of The Folkestone Triennial. Kind Of".

The triennial is a two-month long showcase of art in the resort, which has attracted the likes of Yoko Ono, widow of the late Beatle John Lennon.

The event gained headlines at this year's launch when Berlin-based artist Michael Sailstorfer sparked a stampede when he hid 30 bars of 24-carat gold, worth £10,000, on Folkestone beach.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "We were called at 8pm on Sunday to a report of criminal damage in Rendezvous Street, Folkestone.

"It was reported that artwork on a wall had been painted on and officers attended the scene. Inquiries are ongoing."

The mural, which is now being watched by security guards, has been restored to its original state after the crude graffiti was scraped off the plastic sheeting this morning using a specialist removal treatment, the Kent Online website said.

Andy Blaszkowicz, grounds maintenance manager at Shepway District Council, said: "The officer saw the crude image from where he was working in Payers Park.

"He immediately returned to the office to collect the equipment he needed to clean it off.

"We always endeavour to act quickly when made aware of images of such an offensive nature."

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