Locals in a seaside town have been pondering whether a mural that has recently appeared on a wall is by street artist Banksy.
The artwork of a black boy holding a rose with the question “Likes Me?? Likes Me Not??” on either side of him bears hallmarks of the renowned guerilla artist’s work. The piece appeared on the wall of a small block of flats undergoing renovation in Canonbury Road in Ramsgate, Kent.
So far there has been no official confirmation that Bristol-based Banksy is behind the design, sparking speculation in the resort. The local authority, Thanet District Council, was unable to confirm who was responsible. (PA)
Diamond donation by bell ringer
The Salvation Army in Boston has said a former bell ringer has offered to pay 21,000 US dollars (£13,400) for two rings that a widow dropped into a red donation kettle in the hope they would be sold to buy toys for poor children.
The charity said the anonymous buyer is also a widow. It said she does not plan to keep the rings. Instead, she wants to return the diamond engagement ring and wedding band to the woman who originally gave them. (PA)
Tax reprieve for widow in US
A Pennsylvania appeals court has reversed the sale of a widow’s home that was triggered by a tax bill for 6.30 US dollars (£4).
A Commonwealth Court panel said the auction sale of Eileen Battisti’s 280,000 dollar (£180,000) home outside Aliquippa in western Pennsylvania was not valid because the Beaver County Tax Claim Bureau did not offer her an instalment payment plan as required by state law.
The court heard Mrs Battisti struggled to cope with household finances after her husband’s death in 2004. The sale was held after the tax bill grew with interest and costs to 235 dollars (£150) by late 2011, when the property was sold for about 116,000 dollars (£74,200). (PA)
Burglar is caught by a whisker
A burglary suspect was caught by a whisker when DNA from his beard hair led to his arrest, police said.
Sheriff’s deputies in upstate New York said an intruder armed with a knife confronted a woman in her home in Vienna last December – but the woman grabbed his beard before he fled.
A hair sample was sent for DNA testing. Oneida County deputies say it was linked to 54-year-old Leon Tennant. Tennant is being held without bail. (PA)
Online archive for artists’ diaries
Sketchbooks, family photographs, personal letters and intimate diaries from artists from Paul Nash to Barbara Hepworth have been published online.
Around 6,000 items have been digitised from The Tate, which holds the world’s largest archive of British art. They include Nash’s black and white photographs of the British landscape and tender love letters he wrote to his wife, detailing their early life together as well as his service as a soldier and war artist during the First World War.
It also includes 45 volumes of Hepworth’s notes, details and photographs of her sculptures.