Onlookers have described their disbelief after the council removed part of a Banksy in Margate just a day after the famous artist created it.

The artwork, which appeared on the back of a building in Grosvenor Place yesterday, was confirmed to be a genuine Banksy this morning - prompting art lovers to flock to Thanet to view it.

Titled 'Valentine's Day Mascara', the new piece shows a woman in a retro dress, complete with kitchen apron and Marigolds, with a bruised eye and missing teeth.

Sticking out from a fridge-freezer – believed to have been placed against the wall purposely – are a pair of legs, suggesting the man has been dumped there by his wife.

But just hours after Banksy claimed responsibility for the artwork - which could be worth a hefty sum - contractors from Thanet District Council carted away the fridge-freezer that formed a vital part of the piece.

The council has since confirmed it was removed "on the grounds of safety" and will be returned "once it has been made safe to the public".

Dan Bambridge-Higgins, who captured the moment the appliance was taken away, described his disbelief.

"You can’t get them to sort out any fly tipping but hilariously sad that the instant reaction to a new Banksy in Margate by @ThanetCouncil is to remove it!" he tweeted.

Mark Delaney replied: "Talk about Thanet Council shooting themselves in the foot. How petty."

ITV Meridian reporter Joe Coshan tweeted: "Extraordinary scenes here in Margate - a removal team has been sent to remove the fly tipped fridge because of health and safety.

"A gallery were sent by the house owner to protect it but they’ve arrived too late."

In footage posted online, a man can be heard asking one of the contractors: "You do know it's a Banksy, yeah?"

She replies: "I'm fully aware of that and so's my boss, who's asked me to do this."

The man asks: "How do you feel having to do this?"

The worker responds: "It's my job."

A Thanet District Council spokesman said: "We are aware that the graffiti artist known as Banksy has confirmed that the mural that has appeared recently in Margate is his.

"The graffiti is situated on a wall of a privately-owned property. A fridge-freezer which is believed to have been part of the installation has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land.

"The fridge-freezer is now in storage and will be returned once it has been made safe to the public. We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district."

The county has played host to a number of genuine and confirmed Banksys on more than one occasion, both in Folkestone and in Dover.

His Brexit-themed Dover piece portrayed the image of a workman on a ladder chipping away one of the stars of the EU flag.

The artwork, which was valued at £1 million, was controversially painted over, leaving a giant white square in its place.