A huge mural in the Northern Quarter of two men kissing has been covered up by stairs.
The large artwork is painted on the side of the newly developed Avro building on Binns Place.
The picture, which depicts two men in an embrace, was painted in 2016 as part of the Cities of Hope Project by Faith47 and Lyall Sprong.
According to artist Faith47's website, it 'pays homage to human intimacy as well as asserting support for LGBT rights'.
The mural on the side of the old Brownsfield Mill has now been partly covered by stairs.
Urban Splash, who are developing the building - now named Avro - into 31 apartments, said over that over the mural was the 'only viable place' to put the staircase.
But Sam Naylor, who lives nearby, said in a tweet that he was 'really, really disappointed' that the mural had been covered up.
"@Urban_Splash really really disappointed that you have covered up the gorgeous mural on the side of #Avro by @_faith47 of two men kissing.
"It is part of a stunning series called #CitiesofHope highlighting social injustices.
"Why have you chosen to build stairs over it?"
An Urban Splash spokesperson said: “Avro is a building rich in Manchester heritage; be it the original fabric of the structure, its rich aviation history or more modern features such as this brilliant piece of artwork.
"Urban Splash is proud to have been part of the commission of the artwork, supporting Cities of Hope, so we also have an affinity with it.
“It’s imperative that we work hard to save great buildings like this, finding new purposes for them that suit the needs of modern residents.
"That can however bring limitations, and in the case of Avro, the complex internal structure meant that this was the only viable place to add a staircase that would allow the building to be brought into use in any form.
"Avro is has a beautiful but tricky layout; the building is an L shape, with each wing of the building featuring unaligned floors.
"That is one of the many reasons the staircase has had to be added in this way.
“We have preserved the artwork whilst also adding the new staircase – an extension of our commitment inside where we’ve retained much of Avro’s original fabric.
"It’s an approach that’s been welcomed by residents who’ve recently moved into completed homes here.”
