Banksy's Fishy Business: Street Art Appears on London Police Box

The elusive street artist Banksy has confirmed his latest work, a detailed fish swimming scene painted onto a City of London Police sentry box, which first appeared on Sunday morning. The glass-fronted box, situated on Ludgate Hill near The Old Bailey and St Paul's Cathedral, has been transformed into a vibrant underwater scene.

This is the seventh new artwork to be revealed in London over the past week. Since Monday, stencilled silhouette images of a goat, elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, and a cat have popped up in various locations across the capital. This particular piece differs from previous works in that it's a detailed painting, seemingly created with translucent spray paint.

Two City of London Police officers visited the sentry box after the artwork was spotted on CCTV cameras. They are currently waiting to hear what action will be taken regarding the artwork, which the police have described as criminal damage. The City of London Corporation, which owns the police box, has stated they are exploring options to preserve the artwork.

Since the artwork was confirmed as a Banksy, small crowds have gathered to take pictures. One local resident, who came to see the fish artwork after hearing rumours it could be by Banksy, said: "I like it, it's got a charm to it somehow. It's not in your face, it's quite subtle. I know some of the others have been stolen, so I wanted to come and see it. It's actually rather beautiful in the sun."

Three people travelled from the West Midlands to London for the weekend specifically to see the latest Banksy artworks around the city. One of the visitors commented: "We've come down this weekend, we're big Banksy fans." Another member of the group said that, if the fish artwork was indeed by Banksy, it would likely be their favourite of the week.

The police sentry boxes, which were installed around the Square Mile in the 1990s during the IRA troubles, were originally designed to protect the City from terrorist attacks. Police officers stood guard in them to monitor traffic.

Banksy's artwork has not been without its challenges. On Saturday, his sixth piece - a stretching cat on an empty advertising billboard in north-west London - was removed by contractors hired by a "contracting company" citing safety reasons. Crowds who had gathered to view the artwork booed as it was dismantled.

In total, three of Banksy's works unveiled this week have been removed or defaced. The wolf on the satellite dish was stolen by masked men within hours of being revealed, and the affectionate elephants were painted over with stripes on Friday.

Each day, Banksy officially announced the new artworks on his Instagram page. The fish swimming scene on the police sentry box is the latest addition to his animal-themed art series, which has captivated Londoners and art enthusiasts alike.