Artwork believed to be one of Banksy’s earliest murals has been accidentally painted over in the artist’s hometown.

The graffiti artwork had remained on the shutters of a small shop in Bristol’s Park Row since the 1990s, before its new tenants unwittingly ordered it to be removed.

A workman renovating the former pizza takeaway into a tea room only realised the significance of the graffiti when Banksy super-fan Simon Whiteaway passed on Tuesday.

Mr Whiteaway, 52, said: “I walked by and saw a painter going over the mural and said to him ‘what are you doing?’

Banksy artwork removed from shutters
The Banksy mural on the shopfront shutters on Park Row (Ben Birchall/PA)

“I had to explain to him what it was and he was shocked.

“The shop was a skate shop for a long time – Rollermania – and Banksy knew its owner, Tony Coffey.

“In the 90s Tony gave him £20 or £30 to spray his shutters.”

The origins of the mural were confirmed by London-based artist Inkie, who began spray painting with artists including Banksy and Massive Attack founder 3D in Bristol during the 1980s.

He said: “It was first painted by 3D Massive Attack in the mid-eighties, then me and FLX painted it followed by Dicy And Feek TCF crew.

“Banksy then painted a rather ugly freestyle over this in his pre-stencils period.

“It didn’t go down well and probably better for him it’s being painted over.”