A POSSIBLE Banksy has appeared overnight on the side of Reading Prison.
The image shows a prisoner escaping the now-closed institution with a typewriter in his hand.
It has been likened to poet Oscar Wilde, who was held in the jail after being convicted of gross indecency with other men in 1895.
His two-year incarceration made the prison – formerly known as Reading Gaol – a famous landmark in the area.
Wilde wrote poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol on memory of an execution that took place while he was at the jail.
Actor Stacy Keach also served six months at the prison after being convicted for trying to smuggle cocaine into England.
A campaign was launched to save the Grade II listed building after it was closed in 2014.
Locals now believe Banksy has created the artwork to help with the campaign.
The elusive artist hasn’t yet confirmed the image is his but it is similar to his style of work.
The world-famous artist usually creates his street art under the cover of darkness.
While Banksy is said to have travelled the world to create his art he is thought to have produced most of his work in the UK.
More than 120 works have been attributed to him over three decades.
Arguably Banksy’s most iconic piece, it appeared on the South Bank, London, in around 2002.
The title is written behind a young girl seen reaching for a balloon in the shape of a heart.
Banksy’s artwork titled Girl With Balloon – a variation on the original – was up for auction at Sotheby’s in London when it self-destructed.
A secret shredder destroyed the painting after it sold for £1million.
One resident said: “Could it be? #Banksy If so, that’ll really add some impetus behind the campaign to stop the redevelopment of Reading Gaol. #rdguk”.
Another wrote: “Has Banksy visited Reading prison overnight?”
Banksy’s last confirmed artwork was an image of a woman sneezing out her dentures on the side of a semi-detached home in Bristol.
The artist confirmed the work on his Instagram, explaining it is named “Aachoo!!”
Reading Gaol was opened in 1844 but was shut in 2014 under The Closure of Prisons Order.
Calls have been made from locals, Reading Council and celebs such as Dame Judi Dench to save the building and make it a tourist attraction.
But in November 2015, Chancellor George Osborne and Justice Secretary Michael Gove confirmed the site would be sold to housing developers.
