What was once one of the county’s most iconic landmarks is now being torn down - with the firm in charge knowing “one wrong move” could destroy a piece of history.

KentOnline reporter Chantal Weller spoke to bosses at DDS Demolition about the “high-risk” task posed by the felling of the Dover Banksy building – and what they plan to do with any parts of the artwork they can salvage...

Normally, the sight of scaffolding around a run-down building wouldn’t attract too much attention.

Tourists heading for Europe are probably not even giving it a second glance as they drive along the A20 towards the Port of Dover.

But this is no normal building site.

This is where, in May 2017, world-famous artist Banksy stunned residents by creating a giant Brexit mural overnight.

The work, valued at £1 million and located in full view of port-bound traffic, showed a man on a ladder chipping away at an EU flag.

It caused just as much of a stir when it was mysteriously whitewashed two years later.

Ever since, there have been calls for it to be restored.

But Dover District Council (DDC) has decided it would be too costly for taxpayers to attempt to conserve the mural.

The entire building is being demolished as part of the authority’s plans to transform the Bench Street area of town into a “creative centre”.

The Banksy site, on the corner of York Street and Townwall Street, is earmarked for both commercial and residential use.

Now, DDS Demolition has begun work to knock down the wall that Banksy transformed six years ago – and will own any of the artwork it can salvage.

“Demolition is not all crash, bang, wallop,” a spokesperson for the company told KentOnline.

“A lot of what we do nowadays is very technical, so trying to salvage pieces of it when it comes down is not out of the ordinary as we often salvage a lot of our materials for future use.

“I wouldn't say there is extra pressure because it is a Bansky - but there are extra costs to hopefully make it successful.

“It is definitely not within the remit of what you would usually spend on demolishing that sort of building. It is taking longer too.”

Pictures taken yesterday show the top of the wall has already been removed.

The DDS Demolition spokesperson says they are taking great care - but confirmed it was a case of “one wrong move” and they won’t be able to salvage any of the Banksy.

“There is a lot of thought and consideration that goes into it,” they said.

“You don’t rush into anything with demolition.

“There is a high risk that it may not be salvageable but we will not know until the art restorer has done their bit too.

“It is a gamble and the risk is that when it is unpackaged, what condition it could be in and whether it is salvageable.”

When asked if they had considered displaying the piece locally, the spokesperson said: “We will absolutely work very closely with DDC and try to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs.”

The plans for the creative centre have seen numbers 14 and 15 Bench Street already demolished.

The Banksy building is expected to be gone by Christmas after it was deemed unsafe.

Earlier this year it was confirmed the mural would be “recreated”. Council bosses employed international art specialists Factum Arte to scan and preserve the whitewashed mural.

The original work is being taken down brick-by-brick but the council is hoping that this way the piece - or at least parts of it - can still be restored elsewhere in the town, either digitally or physically.

A DDC spokesperson said: “Our contractor continues the careful process of demolishing the unsafe building at 11 Bench Street.

“As part of this phase of work, DDS Demolition is attempting to see if the Banksy artwork can be conserved in any way.

“There is no certainty that this will be successful given the fact that the artwork was whitewashed and the poor state of the render.

“Prior to authorising the demolition, and having taken professional conservation advice, DDC determined that the Banksy could not be viably conserved without considerable costs to local taxpayers, even if it were technically possible.

“The contractor is meeting all additional costs and risks that they incur in attempting to recover the Banksy.”

If any parts of the Banksy are saved, they will not be in public ownership.

The council spokesperson said: “Should their attempts be successful, any elements of the Banksy would be the property of DDS Demolition in line with the terms of the contract which, as is standard practice with demolition projects, gives them the ownership of any salvageable materials from the buildings.

“Given the detailed conservation process that needs to take place, it is likely to be some time before DDS Demolition will know if their attempts to conserve any elements of the Banksy have been successful.

“We are in discussions with DDS Demolition as to how any elements of the conserved Banksy could be put on display locally.”

The transformation of the Bench Street area of Dover has also seen work start on knocking down much-loved nightclub The Funky Monkey and neighbouring former Post Office knocked down.

Number 11 Bench Street – the former Castle Amusements building – will also be

The cash for the project largely comes from the government’s Levelling Up fund.

The Dover Banksy is not the first of the artist’s works in Kent to be taken from its original site.

Most recently, a piece on the side of a derelict farm building near Herne Bay ended up in a skip after it was torn down by oblivious builders.

Banksy’s £6m Valentine’s Day Mascara mural, which first appeared on the side of a house in Margate, was moved to Dreamland in the town - and has now been craned into a new exhibition in London.

His first work in the county was a piece called Art Buff in Folkestone. That too was removed and sent to America where it went up for auction but failed to sell.

It is now back in the town and on display in the Old High Street.