Welsh councillor resigns after repeated allegations that he is street artist Banksy

Repeated allegations that he is secretly street artist Banksy have led Welsh local councillor William Gannon to resign.

William Gannon, a member of Pembroke Dock Town Council in Wales has announced his decision to resign from his position. In a post on his Facebook profile this Monday, May 23, he explained that he is fed up with constant accusations made that he is secretly Banksy, the notorious street artist.

In his post, Mr Gannon wrote: “As you may be aware, an allegation has been repeatedly made that I am not who I say I am, but that I am the artist Banksy. A number of people believe that this allegation is true. This allegation is undermining my ability to do the work of Councillor and Council Rep properly”.

The councillor continued, “I do not want this allegation to undermine the reputation of Pembroke Dock Town Council. Therefore, I have decided to step down as both Town Councillor and Council Rep to The Port with immediate effect. Thank you for all of the support that you have given me in the past”.

After many of his constituents responded to his post, Mr Gannon insisted: “I have not gone away”.

Pembroke is a town on the west coast of Wales, and is located around 136 miles from Bristol, the city where Banksy is thought to have first started his work.

A Banksy mural in another part of Wales earlier this year became news after attempts to damage it were made by certain individuals. The artwork was eventually removed and placed in a secure location. It first appeared in December 2018, in the town of Taibach in Port Talbot, on the outside of a private garage belonging to a steelworker.

It aroused so much attention that ‘Seasons Greetings’ had to be fenced off. Art dealer John Brandler eventually purchased the mural, after agreeing to leave it for three more years in the South Wales town. It was later moved to an unoccupied shop in the town of Ty’r Orsaf, a move funded by the Welsh Government, where it is not available for viewing by the public.

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