A Banksy mural which depicted a group of pigeons holding up banners has been removed from a wall on Clacton seafront after complaints that it was racist.
The painting was scrubbed off by Tendring District Council officials after the complaint was received on Tuesday, after the anonymous artist posted pictures on his website.
The birds were shown holding banners which read 'Go Back to Africa' and 'Migrants not Welcome'.
The artist is known for making provocative political statements through his work. UKIP is favourite to win a by-election in Clacton-on-Sea on October 8.
Nigel Brown, from Tendring District Council, said: "The site was inspected by staff who agreed that it could be seen as offensive and it was removed this morning in line with our policy to remove this type of material within 48 hours.
"We would obviously welcome an appropriate Banksy original on any of our seafronts and would be delighted if he returned in the future."
