[imagesource:benbirchall]

Edwin Simons, a 67-year-old pensioner, woke up on Valentine’s Day to find a mural on the wall of his rented home in Bristol.

People walking by were convinced that the artwork, which must have been executed in the early hours of the morning, was an original Banksy.

According to The Irish News, the artist has now confirmed his handiwork on his Instagram account.

Kelly Woodruff, Simons’ daughter, found out about the mural when she was tagged in a post on Facebook.

“We’ve been down here all day and it’s just been a complete buzz of excitement,” she told the PA news agency.

“There’s so many people coming and enjoying it, taking pictures, it’s fantastic.

The family are looking into ways to cover up the artwork, so that they can protect it. Considering that the last Banksy to go on auction fetched a record-breaking £9,88 million, that’s probably for the best.

“My slight worry is, we’ve got this Storm Dennis coming on the weekend, so I really want to try and protect the roses,” she added.

…News of the Banksy first emerged on Twitter, with Bristol Somali Community Association writing: “Today in Barton Hill, we woke up with this remarkable mural art painted on one of the houses of the area.

Bristol is Banksy’s home town, so he must have wanted to share a little love, in his usual slightly violent way.

Whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, I hope you’re having a good one.

[source:irishnews]