Local councillor Rob Jones said the "globally viewed, newly arrived piece of guerrilla art" made Port Talbot the perfect place to house a recently mooted Welsh modern art gallery.

"At least one world class contemporary artist appears to view the interesting mix of peaceful hillsides alongside striking urban and industrial landscapes as a piece of art in itself," Jones said.

He added that when it came to pollution, Port Talbot was on a par with or cleaner than many other towns and cities, and that its transport connections were very good too.

"Ease of access could perhaps have been one of the many reasons Banksy may have chosen Port Talbot," he said.

The graffiti artist is known for producing politically charged sketches on walls from New York to Paris and Gaza City.

In one of the artist's most provocative stunts, a painting of "Girl with Balloon" shredded itself into pieces the moment it sold at auction for more than 1 million pounds ($1.3 million). The buyer went ahead with the purchase.

Reuters