A BANKSY-style piece of graffiti in Eastleigh has been 'pointlessly' defaced.

The artwork on the wall of Places Leisure appeared back in April and was attributed to Hendog, who has designed more than a dozen murals in Hampshire.

But it is now covered in black spray paint, which could see the mural as a whole scrubbed from the wall.

One resident, who asked not to be named, told the Echo: "It's a shame because whoever sprayed over the mural could have sprayed around it. It was pointless graffiti over something that was pleasing to the eye.

"I expect now the graffiti will have to be cleaned off which probably means the mural will have to be as well. It would be nice if the mural could be saved.

"On my way home from walking my dog I always enjoyed looking at the mural and I expect it was the same for a lot of other people."

The Echo has contacted Hendog via email and awaits a response.

The artist remains anonymous, similar to world-famous artist Banksy, and is responsible for multiple artworks across the county.

A Banksy piece was gifted to University Hospital Southampton during the first wave of the pandemic.

It sold for more than £16 million, and all proceeds went towards the NHS.

The painting, depicting a child playing with a nurse superhero doll, was sold at Christie's making a whopping £16,758,000 at auction.