Banksy art stolen from Paris attack venue

At a theatre where 90 people were killed in cold blood by terrorists, a heartless thief has stolen Banksy’s tribute to the victims.

An artwork painted by street artist Banksy paying tribute to the victims of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks has been stolen from the Bataclan theatre where 90 people were killed, the concert venue said on Twitter Saturday.

“We are moved today by a deep sense of indignation,” the theatre wrote. “Banksy’s work, a symbol of remembrance and belonging to everyone — locals, Parisians, citizens of the world — was taken from us.”

L’œuvre de @originaIbanksy hommage aux victimes du 13/11 a été volée. pic.twitter.com/FMHoobzRXm

— Bataclan (@bataclan_) January 26, 2019

The attacks on November 13, 2015 by members of the Islamic State extremist organisation killed 130 people at the Bataclan theatre, cafe and bar terraces in the east of the French capital, and in the city’s Stade de France stadium.

Local media reported that the image of a sad-looking female figure in white was painted on an emergency door at the Bataclan theatre, which the thieves removed and took away in a lorry.

Banksy posted an image of it on his Instagram account in June, seemingly confirming the artwork’s authenticity.

The artwork pays tribute to the victims of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Picture: Thomas Samson / AFP

Works by the reclusive British artist are extremely popular and fetch high prices at auctions.

In October, a Banksy painting that was sold for more than PS1 million ($A1.9m) at a London auction immediately shredded itself.

The artist said he had secretly built a shredder into the outsize gilt frame of the picture, activating it as the auction closed.