Additional reporting by Millie Bowles

Banksy has claimed a painting on the side of a derelict 500-year-old farmhouse in Kent - but demolition trucks have already torn down the building.

The world-famous artist shared images of the piece - called Morning is Broken - near Herne Bay on his Instagram this morning.

The work was in the bricked-up window of one of Blacksole Farm's former properties, and showed the silhouette of a boy opening curtains with a cat sitting next to him.

But construction vehicles moved on to the Broomfield site - which is earmarked for 67 homes - and started removing the building yesterday.

Luckily, builders on-site have managed to fish out the remains of the piece from the rubble of the torn down building.

Builders working on the project say they had no idea it was a genuine Banksy and "felt sick" when they learned it was one of his pieces.

One of the contractors, George Caudwell, told KentOnline: “We had no idea it was a Banksy.

"It made me feel sick realising it was a Banksy - we were gutted.

"We started demolishing it yesterday.

"The landowner watched us do it and didn’t know either.”

Teams say the metal curtains that featured in the piece are now in a skip, along with the rest of the mural, on the site.

The work is understood to have been the first part of the building to have been demolished.

Kitewood was given the green light to flatten the old farmhouse - which dates as far back as 1529 - towards the end of last year.

The housing scheme forms the latest part of the developer's vision for the area, as it has also lodged proposals to erect a drive-thru McDonald’s, B&M and Food Warehouse at nearby Altira Park.

"It made me feel sick realising it was a Banksy - we were gutted..."

The house-building firm has owned the site for several years, but it has fallen into a state of disrepair, having been regularly targeted by vandals and unruly youths.

This is the fourth Banksy piece to have been created in Kent - with the latest being a woman in 50s-era dress painted onto the side of a home in Margate, called Valentine's Day Mascara.

It is not yet known whether the piece has been preserved by the demolition teams.

Kitewood has been approached for comment.