( CNN ) -- When a street artist paints a mural on a wall , who owns the artwork ? By Saturday evening , the answer could be `` someone else , '' at least in the case of `` Slave Labour , '' a work of renowned artist Banksy . The mural showed up on the wall of a Poundland discount store in North London 's Haringey neighborhood during the queen 's Jubilee last May . It depicts a young boy sewing British flags and was thought to be a commentary on sweatshop labor , something that hit home in the working class neighborhood . `` It represents the struggle of the community in general , '' one resident told the BBC . And it was something positive for locals . `` I felt a twinge of pride that something other than cheap tat was drawing people to our high road . `` It brought much-needed positive attention to Wood Green instead of the usual ugly image often spread in the news and on Twitter , '' Rachella Sinclair wrote in Tottenham & Wood Green Journal . But last week , residents noticed some work was being done around the 4-foot-by-5-foot mural , with scaffolding and a tarpaulin put up . `` This morning I had a sneaky look under said tarpaulin to find it had been removed , '' wrote blogger AntK on Harringay Online . `` I spoke to the guy rendering the wall and he said that after repeated attempts to gouge it out , the owner of the Poundland building had decided to take steps to 'preserve ' it . '' The preservation seems to have taken the piece to Miami , where `` Slave Labour '' has turned up in the catalog of Fine Art Auctions in Miami . It 's expected to go under the gavel on Saturday with a price range of $ 500,000 to $ 700,000 as part of a collection of `` Modern , Contemporary and Street Art . '' That has the North London locals angry . `` Banksy gave that piece of art to our community , '' local council member Alan Strickland is quoted as saying by the BBC . He called the artwork a `` piece of art that was given freely has been taken away from them . '' Not so , said the Miami auctioneer . `` Some people in England are complaining that the work had been stolen . That 's absolutely incorrect because the work was painted on a private wall and the owner of a private wall can do whatever he wants with his own wall , '' Frederick Thut said in a BBC interview . `` We take a lot of care with our consignors , who they are , what they do , and if there 's any illegality we will not touch it . Everything is checked out 150 % , '' the Guardian quoted Thut as saying . For its part Poundland tweeted that it is not responsible for removing the art . `` We do not own the building . It is not ours to remove , '' the store tweeted . `` We 've been unable to reach landlord 's agents today but would like to reiterate that we in no way condone the artwork removal , '' another tweet said . Banksy himself is known to be reclusive and has made no official comment on the controversy . But on the frequently asked questions page of his website , he poses the question : `` What do you think about the auction houses selling street art ? '' He quotes artist Henri Matisse for his answer : `` I was very embarrassed when my canvases began to fetch high prices , I saw myself condemned to a future of painting nothing but masterpieces . ''
4-foot-by-5-foot Banksy mural was on London store . Mural was point of pride for locals . Residents noticed mural was taken away last week . `` Slave Labour '' expected to fetch more than $ 500,000 .