THE owner of a Banksy masterpiece painted over by a vandal has vowed to restore it as a local landmark.

Joe Sidhu was left devastated after white paint was daubed over an image of a child by world famous guerrilla artist Banksy – art worth more than £20,000.

But now the dad-of-one, from Bassett, hopes the paint can be removed before it absorbs into the work of art, on a wall of a Southampton terrace house he owns.

He said: “It has got to be done as quickly as possible. I want it to stay there for the people of Southampton.”

Art expert and gallery owner Keith Sekree, who keeps Banksy originals at the TAOI Gallery, in Shamrock Quay, Southampton, said the paint was sticky and may cause problems if left.

He said: “Time is of the essence because the paint will become ingrained because of the wall’s porous surface and then it will be harder to get off.”

A specialist cleaner is now set to come from London to clean it using chemicals that can delicately remove one coat of paint while leaving the paint underneath mostly intact.

The stencil, in Bevois Valley, with “No future” emblazoned above in red graffiti, has become something of a tourist attraction since revealed as authentic last week before being painted over last Tuesday night. Paul Singh, 40, a traffic safety officer from Lordswood, said driving his car at about 10.45pm he spotted a young brunette in her 20s by the wall with a brush. She was crouching in a long black coat and clutching a blue plastic bag while painting the wall.

He said: “She was not paying any attention to the traffic. It was strange. At the time I did not know what she was doing.”