West Country (E) Art

Scaffolding and cladding which covered Cheltenham's famous Banksy, known as the spies, has been taken down today.

The art work, on the side of a house in Fairview road, was covered up after it was vandalised.

Local people had hoped to raise enough money to save the work for the town. A spokesman for The Bankrobber gallery in london, which had erected the scaffolding in the first place, says that it is no longer prepared to pay to protect the work.

The winner of the spoof Turnip Prize has been announced at a pub in Somerset.

The competition is billed as an antidote to the prestigious Turner Prize which is announced the same night.

While the Turner Prize is sometimes controversial in its choice of winners (notably Tracy Emin and her bed), it is nothing to compare with the Turnip Prize, where the judges reward the lack of effort taken by the artists.

There were 69 entries in the competition and it seems this year's finalists for the much sought after turnip on a nail have taken the rule to heart.

In the end the judges went for possible the most topical entry - a tribute to the newest party in parliament - UKIP.

It was awarded to Ms Drunken Shepherd for her work entitled “Ewe Kip” (A Sleeping Sheep). See what she did there?

A Somerset artist who returned from Afghanistan with a collection of scrap from Camp Bastion will soon be showing of her latest work at a London exhibition.

Anna Redwood spend time with the Seventh armoured battalion, better known as the Desert Rats. She's now turned her scrap in to an iconic sculpture. Hannah Gamlin reports:

The winner of this year's spoof awards, the Turnip Prize, has been announced.

Percy Long-Trong took the prize for his work, "Play on Words."

The Somerset-based spoof celebration of rubbish art is now in its 15th year.

Three pieces of modern art have gone missing from a gallery in Bath. Police believe the sculpture and two paintings were stolen from the Edgar Modern Gallery in Bartlett Street.

It's not known exactly when they disappeared but it's thought to have been between the first and 26th of September.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the missing art to get in touch.

Fine Art Auctions Miami, the company that is set to sell the 'Banksy' artwork, is promoting the stencil as a highlight of tomorrow's auction.

They have put it on the front cover of the catalogue and on the home page of their website.

It is estimated that the work will fetch between $500,000 and $700,000.

An auctioneer in Miami preparing to sell a 'Bansky' street painting taken from a London wall says if anyone can prove the sale is illegal he'll take it off the market.

The 'Banksy' disappeared from a wall in Wood Green earlier this month, and is expected to fetch up to half a million dollars in the sale tomorrow.

Ria Chaterjee has our report:

A 30-year-old woman from Somerset has won this year's Turnip Prize. Miss quick won the award for her work entitled “The Three Tenas” (A pack of Ladies Tenas with three sticking out of the top). The ceremony was held at The New Inn, Wedmore, Somerset.