A 49-year-old man, Larry Fraser, was sentenced to 13 months after stealing a signed 2004 Banksy Girl with Balloon print—valued at about £270,000—from the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia last September. Met Police Flying Squad officers used CCTV and covert enquiries to trace and arrest Fraser, recovering the print within four days. Art recovery expert Arthur Brand noted prints are typically easier to sell than unique paintings, and gallery staff thanked police for their swift response.
Man Jailed After Smash-and-Grab Theft of Signed Banksy 'Girl with Balloon' Print in London
A 49-year-old man, Larry Fraser, was sentenced to 13 months after stealing a signed 2004 Banksy Girl with Balloon print—valued at about £270,000—from the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia last September. Met Police Flying Squad officers used CCTV and covert enquiries to trace and arrest Fraser, recovering the print within four days. Art recovery expert Arthur Brand noted prints are typically easier to sell than unique paintings, and gallery staff thanked police for their swift response.
05:21 AM, 11/15/2025Culture
Signed Banksy print recovered after swift police operation
A 49-year-old man, Larry Fraser, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing a signed 2004 Banksy print of Girl with Balloon from the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia, central London. The print—valued at around £270,000 (about $355,000)—was taken during a smash-and-grab raid last September, the Metropolitan Police said.
Police said Fraser pleaded guilty to one count of non-residential burglary. Met Flying Squad officers worked quickly to identify and trace the suspect using CCTV and other enquiries. Officers located Fraser only a few streets from the gallery and recovered the artwork within four days of his arrest.
How the theft unfolded
Video footage released by police shows a hooded individual smashing the gallery's glass door, entering the premises and removing the framed print from the wall before loading it into a van. The forensic and CCTV evidence helped lead detectives to Fraser, who was then arrested.
"We reacted immediately to not just bring Fraser to justice but also reunite the artwork with the gallery," said Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather, who led the investigation. He added that Banksy's Girl with Balloon is recognised "across the world."
Expert view and local reaction
Art recovery specialist Arthur Brand told CNN that the fact the stolen piece was a print made it easier to sell than a unique painting. "It is easier to sell a print because there are more of them. If you steal a painting, which is unique, it's very hard to sell," Brand said. He also praised the speed of the police response and the ubiquity of CCTV in the UK.
Grove Gallery manager Lindor Mehmetaj, 29, said he was "completely shocked" by the theft and thanked police for their "remarkable" and rapid response, according to a police statement.
Context
The image of a girl reaching for a red, heart-shaped balloon by the anonymous British street artist made global headlines in 2018 when another version of Girl with Balloon partially shredded itself immediately after being sold at auction for $1.4 million.
The Flying Squad, a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police that investigates serious organised crime, handled the case and secured the artwork soon after the theft. Fraser was subsequently sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment following his guilty plea.