Police have credited 'Ninja' Banksy for an artwork, believed to depict Oscar Wilde, that has appeared on the walls of a former prison in Reading.
In a tweet, an officer from the Thames Valley Policing Team said: "Banksy has visited the old Reading Prison like a ninja and left this piece of art.
"It's attracting a lot of attention so please be careful and pay attention to the cars driving past.
"I'm glad I know it's closed down otherwise I might of had to double take!"
However, the Bristol-based artist whose identity is a closely guarded secret has yet to confirm the work is his.
Banksy usually adds photos of his work to his Instagram account around 24 hours after the paintings appear, but the Reading prison artwork is not yet been uploaded.
The prison painting appeared overnight between Sunday February 28 and Monday March 1. It shows a man making his escape from the prison using a rope made of knotted sheets. The prisoner is escaping with a type-writer, which has led to speculation it depicts Oscar Wilde - who was jailed for being gay and incarcerated at Reading Prison between 1895 and 1897.
People in Reading are pleading with the artist to claim responsibility, reports BerkshireLive.
"Please put us out of our misery here in Reading! Did you paint the escaping prisoner on Reading Prison?," commented one reader.
Experts are convinced the new artwork is a Banksy original, reports BerkshireLive. And one passerby spotted a "very scruffy" man with his hood, who he was convinced was the elusive artist, when he saw scaffolding being erected to do the artwork.
