Commuters and drivers passing through Sliema's High Street did a double-take this morning after graffiti which appeared overnight on a wall bore striking resemblances to anonymous world-renowned artist Banksy.

The stencilled graffiti shows a smiling child squatting a London policeman's bobby hat in one of the town's busiest streets. It is not known whether any CCTV footage in the area captured the person responsible for the image.

The world's most controversial artist has developed an entirely unique art sub-culture.

The UK-based artist's satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique.