article_snippet: The artwork, which first appeared on the side of the North Star pub in Hounslow, west London, in 2007, was defaced over the weekend.
article_snippet: Sandra D'Souza said Sandra D'Souza was 'horrified' when Sandra D'Souza saw the defaced artwork.
article_snippet: Sandra D'Souza said: 'I'm sure the defaced artwork brought a smile to the face of lots of other people passing by and
article_snippet: He said at the time: 'I phoned the council to tell them not to paint over the council because it was a work of art. '
article_snippet: But them've also been attacked by vandals - some rival graffiti artists - for no other apparent purpose than to deface and destroy the work.
article_snippet: an estimated £1million was defaced a few months later - and last month, the stencil was granted Grade II-listed status.
article_snippet: Pictured left, in 2014 and right, Banksy defaced state .
article_snippet: The local council quickly placed a perspex cover over the mural to protect The local council, heading off a potential disastrous act of vandalism when someone later crudely scrawled a penis on an empty plinth.
highlights_snippet: Artwork first appeared on side of pub in Hounslow, west London, in 2007 .
  