The disappearance of a Banksy mural still remains a mystery, but it seems unlikely it has been completely removed.

People noticed the Dover piece, which has been valued at £1 million, was missing at the weekend.

Dover District Council has said it was not involved in the disappearance of the artwork, and the family who own the Townwall Street property are yet to comment.

But it has not been confirmed whether the mural, which shows a workman chipping away at a star on the European flag, has been completely removed or painted over.

Removal of street art is a long-winded process.

The Sincura Group spent a month cutting Banksy's Girl with Red Balloon away from a wall in South Bank, London in 2014.

It involved 24-hour security, a diamond chainsaw, and cost thousands to complete.

Being as scaffolding at the Dover property was only put up last week, it is unlikely there was not enough time to professionally remove the mural.

It is more likely the artwork has been painted over, either for protection or to hide it.

Art dealer and Banksy expert John Brandler hopes the piece might have been stabilised.

This is when a solution, which seals and and protects powdery or weathered exteriors, is painted on a surface for protection, and can be dissolved at a later date.

Paul Buckthorpe, whose company erected the scaffolding, claims he does not know what has happened to the mural.

He said: "I haven't got a clue what happened.

"I put the scaffolding up for general repairs to the wall - that's all I knew.

"I only found out this morning it had gone. I was quite shocked."

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