Dover’s Banksy artwork should be preserved as a tourism asset, councillors have agreed.

It is on a building, which the owners want to demolish, but they are willing to protect the mural.

Members of Dover District Council’s cabinet this morning agreed to explore options available to preserve the work for the town.

Cllr Nigel Collor said: “It has created a lot of interest and it seems fairly obvious to me what it would do for tourism.

“I would hope it could be kept in some shape or form.”

Cllr Nick Kenton said: “It gives a social history, concerning Brexit. It is also the biggest Banksy artwork I know of.

"We need to find some way of keeping it in Dover.

“But it is on private property, not ours, so it is not ours to give or take.”

Cllr Keith Morris said: “It should be called the Dover Banksy.”

He said it would add to new assets to the town such as the Dover Bluebirds Heritage Trail, covering historic sites, which opened last summer.

Councillors agreed that it should be preserved in some shape or form and not necessarily on the same site.

They agreed that whatever is done with it should not impede on the Dover Western Docks Revival redevelopment or the town centre redevelopment.

The mural, on the former Castle Amusements Building at Townwall Street, first appeared on Sunday, May 7, and attracted worldwide interest.

It shows a workman on a ladder chipping away at one of the stars on the European Union flag, symbolising Brexit.

It can clearly be seen by drivers on the A20 travelling towards Dover Eastern Docks for ferries to the Continent.

The building, which was previously the Shakespeare hotel, is owned by the Godden family of Folkestone who want to knock it down.

They have said they want to sell the mural for charity.

A Banksy artwork can fetch more than £1 million.

After the meeting council leader Paul Watkins explained to the Mercury that the authority had merely expressed a wish as the mural was out its control.

He said: “It is in a site of redevelopment from Wellington Dock to the Town Hall and it can’t stand in the way.

“We are not going to purchase it but if the owners wanted to keep it in Dover we would try to help them.”