STENCILED graffiti that has appeared on Wellington Monument is not a Banksy original, says the National Trust. 

A spokesperson for Banksy has declared that the graffiti, which purports to be signed by the artist, is a fake.

The monument has been fenced off in recent years to keep visitors safe from the risk of falling masonry, but despite this barrier, the door at the base of the monument was found to have been painted with a stencilled portrait of the Queen and the slogan "one was ‘ere", along with a stencilled signature which claimed the work to be by Banksy.

The trust took precautions to ensure the art was fake before making the decision to remove it. 

Helen Sharp, Wellington Monument project manager for the National Trust, said: "We had concerns immediately when we saw it about whether it was a Banksy.

"The work did not appear to be of the standard we’ve seen of his work elsewhere.

"We still felt we should check to see if it was authentic and we received a quick reply - in very unambiguous terms - to say ‘this is not by Banksy’.

"It makes the decision on whether to remove the graffiti somewhat easier for us.

"Quite often in the trust we face the challenge of proving who created a painting in our collection, but it is unusual for us to be dealing with works by a living artist.

"This makes it somewhat simpler, though still intriguing."

The trust is currently completing a detailed survey of the monument which will be used to guide repairs to the structure.

The repair works have been estimated to cost £4million. 

The Monument will be illuminated again tomorrow (October 20) to mark 199 years since the foundation stone was laid in 1817.

Miss Sharpe added: "In one way it is disappointing that Banksy hasn’t visited the monument, although obviously we do not want to encourage any graffiti on the Monument due to the cost of removing it and potential damage to historic stonework.

"We’re also keen that people don’t put themselves at risk by entering the area that is fenced off around the monument.

"Even though we’re pretty sure it’s not the real deal and will remove it in due course, anyone interested still has a little time to come and see it."