LONDON—The Hackney Council is making no friends in the neighborhood after painting over a long-standing Banksy mural, dismissing it as simple graffiti. “Hackney Council does not make a judgment call on whether graffiti is art or not,” said cabinet member Alan Laing. The mural depicted a spoof of the royal family and was used as an album cover for British band Blur in 2003. The owner of the building that served as its canvas, Sophie Atrill, was devastated to see the artwork go, but her attempts to stop city workers from removing it — including labeling them trespassers and vandals — went unheeded. Atrill was never properly notified that the city intended to remove the Banksy, as the council sent word to an incorrect address.

The removal comes in stark contrast to recent events in neighboring Bristol, which earlier in the week decided to give residents the power to vote on what street art stays and what doesn’t. Banksy has brought an influx of visitors and funds to that city this summer, with his exhibit "Banksy vs. Bristol Museum" attracting over 300,000 visitors.

Read more at the Guardian and the Hackney Gazette.