Owner who cut up $81,000 Banksy artwork to 'double its value' told it's only worth $2

The owner of a Banksy print allegedly worth more than £40,000 (NZ$81,000) has shredded it in a copycat attempt to try and double its value - but has now been told it is worthless.

Art experts were contacted by an owner hoping to sell their destroyed Girl With a Balloon print after mimicking the artist's latest stunt - where a remote device was used to shred the Banksy print at auction.

The seller supposedly sliced strips into the expensive piece with a stanley knife, then requested the print be listed for a minimum of £80,000.

But the experts refused to accept the defiled piece, which they claim is one of just 600 mint condition prints in the world.

They blasted the 'crazy' decision as 'opportunistic vandalism' and estimated the piece would now be worth £1.

Banksy shocked the art world when his iconic print was ripped to shreds moments after it went under the hammer for more than a million at Sotheby's auction in London, the MailOnline reported.

However, far from devaluing the art, experts believed that the stunt may have actually doubled the price of the work because of the huge interest it generated.

Experts, My Art Broker, claimed they had warned people on social media after receiving initial enquiries from people who wanted to shred their Banksy pieces to increase their value.

They said: "We've had a number of Banksy print owners contact us today asking if they shred their artwork will it be worth more. Please, Please DON'T. The events of the last 24hrs are a very unique piece of art history."

The art specialist said that only Banksy could pull off the shredding stunt.

Ian Syer, co-Founder of MyArtBroker.com said: "Banksy is unique to the art world. No other artist captures the hearts and minds of the public like he does.

"However, when Banksy does something crazy like shredding his own artwork, it will naturally have a dramatic affect on values.

"What this person today seems to have done is needlessly ruin a print worth around £40,000 and reduce its value to almost nothing.

"We strongly recommend nobody else takes valuable art and tries to cash in on what history will judge a simply brilliant stunt.

"There are limited numbers of Girl With Balloon prints in the world, today, we lost one and it's a crying shame."

GIRL WITH BALLOON: BANKSY'S ICONIC ARTWORK

Girl With Balloon is one of graffiti artist Banksy's most famous murals.

The imagery was first spotted on the wall of a shop in 2002, in Great Eastern Street, east London.

It features just two simple shapes, with the statement: 'There is always hope'.

The girl depicts a Syrian refugee, an imagery which Banksy uses many times in his murals.

The iconic mural was last year voted the nation's favourite artwork.

The image was chosen above the likes of Constable's Hay Wain and Jack Vettriano's Singing Butler.

Featuring on the shop wall for more than 12 years. it was also set to be removed and sold in 2014.

Events company Sincura Group, which controversially removed another Banksy mural in Tottenham, said would exhibited the work before selling it for about £500,000.

A man who works in the printing shop said in he had not seen the Banksy mural for years because it was been covered with boards.

In March 2015, the third anniversary of the Syria conflict, Banksy reworked the painting to depict a Syrian refugee and added #WithSyria.

The image was later projected on the Eiffel Tower and Nelson's column in Paris.

Justin Bieber famously got the image tattooed on his arm, which was blasted by Banksy himself.

A Facebook page which is thought to represent the mysterious Banksy posted a photo of the ink with the caption: 'controversial.'

A version of the artwork painted onto the cardboard backing of an Ikea frame sold for £73,250 in 2012.