The remains of a Banksy artwork which could have sold for millions have been fished out of a skip after it was torn down by oblivious builders.

The artist confirmed the piece on the side of a derelict building at Blacksole Farm near Herne Bay earlier today - but it had already been demolished.

Workmen at the site told KentOnline they "felt sick" after finding out the stencilled image on the side of the 500-year-old former farmhouse was a genuine Banksy.

Work by the elusive artist has been sold in the past for millions of pounds.

Banksy fan Adam Brooks was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the work as builders pulled it out of the skip.

"I went to have lunch and saw the Banksy post on Instagram," he said.

"I recognised the building straight away and I was only a minute away so I jumped in my van and went down there.

"I spoke to the builders and they said they had seen someone in black on the hill this morning taking a photo of the building but did not think anything of it.

"Since this morning, their bosses have phoned and told them to try and dig out any of the Banksy piece from the skip."

While Mr Brooks was speaking with the builders, others on the site managed to find a large piece of rubble which had most of the artwork on.

"It was like finding treasure," he said.

"I have a couple of Banksy prints but not originals.

"To see a piece that had freshly come off a building was pretty cool.

"It was like the holy grail coming out of a skip."

Mr Brooks lives in Mill Lane, which is very close to the site, and says it is exciting to think Banksy has been right on his doorstep.

"I think it is more exciting that he has come to Herne Bay. It is nice to see something so local," he said.

"I really like Banksy art and to have it initially in my road it makes me think 'did he drive past my house, did I walk past him on the street?' - it is a bit exciting.

"I think he must have wanted it to be destroyed because he usually posts his work if he wants people to see it.

"He has obviously been hanging around for it to be demolished so it is obviously his intention that it was destroyed in some way for this particular piece.

"I know a lot of his pieces tend to be more political whereas the 'Morning has broken' piece really was about a derelict building being torn down."

The artwork featured a silhouette of a boy pulling open corrugated iron curtains, with a cat peering out from behind him.