Additional reporting from KMTV's Sofia Akin

He's famous for keeping his identity a secret - but builders think they spotted Banksy himself in Kent this morning.

A mystery man in a bowler hat, long black coat and glasses was seen taking pictures at the site of the artist's latest work in Broomfield, near Herne Bay.

KentOnline revealed yesterday how the piece - which could have sold for millions - was torn down by contractors who had no idea it was a genuine Banksy.

The remains of the mural, called Morning is Broken, have since been fished out of a nearby skip.

Banksy posted a picture on his Instagram yesterday of the stencilled image on the side of the 500-year-old former farmhouse - before and after it was demolished.

And the arrival of the enigmatic figure at the building site this morning has sparked speculation that it was the man himself.

KMTV's Sofia Akin says she arrived at about 9.30am where three workmen were continuing to knock down the building.

She said: "I went to speak to them and ask for further details. Before I had the chance, a man appeared in a long black coat, bowler hat and glasses, seeming mysterious.

"The contractors said 'that's Banksy, we saw him yesterday, he was here taking a picture of the mural'.

"They said he was with a crew yesterday before and after the mural was demolished.

"I asked 'Banksy' for an interview and he said he wouldn't. The men were all asking if he is Banksy, including some dog walkers that passed and he just laughed, not denying it.

"He then disappeared off but was seen taking pictures of the site."

Despite the excitement, KentOnline has shared the pictures of the mystery man with someone who claims to know the famous artist - and they have expressed doubts that the individual in the pictures is Banksy.

The elusive graffiti artist's identity has never been officially confirmed.

In a 2003 interview with The Guardian, Banksy was described as "white, 28, scruffy casual—jeans, T-shirt, a silver tooth, silver chain and silver earring".

The journalist said he looks like a cross between Jimmy Nail, from Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and Mike Skinner of The Streets.

Then in 2008 a pictured emerged of a man in Jamaica who was said to be Banksy. The individual in the photograph was claimed to be Robin Gunningham, who grew up in Bristol.

Other reports have suggested he is artist and musician Robert del Naja - while in 2020 Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan was forced to deny a bizarre conspiracy theory that he was Banksy.

Whoever he is, his artworks never fail to cause a stir - and many have sold for millions of pounds.

The latest, near Herne Bay, was a silhouette of a boy and a cat pushing apart some curtains constructed from corrugated iron.

Workmen at the site told KentOnline yesterday they "felt sick" after finding out the stencilled image at Blacksole Farm - which has been earmarked for 67 homes - was a genuine Banksy.

The remains of the work have since been pulled out of the skip and attempts have been made to piece it back together.

Now, Banksy expert John Brandler has said he would "love to restore" the piece and display it in Dover museum.

He told KMTV last night: "We can restore this. This isn't a major disaster if we are given access to the property and can sort it out.

"We have a big show starting in the summer, then I'd love to lend it to Dover museum to display.

"The piece itself is wonderful - I'd love to have it in my collection."

Mr Brandler could not say how much the destroyed art could be worth, but that it would "depend on how much is salvageable, how much can be restored and how much would be original".

"To rebuild it, what we would do is get the two sheets of metal, we'd get the surface it was painted on and the surrounding bricks to create the original picture," he added.

"We would then mount it on a backing material so it doesn't fall apart."

But was Banksy back in Broomfield this morning to survey the damage?

Yesterday resident Adam Brooks told KentOnline how workmen at the site had spotted a man in dark clothes taking a picture of the building, not long before the photos were uploaded to Banksy's Instagram.

Mr Brooks said: "I spoke to the builders and they said they had seen someone in black on the hill this morning taking a photo of the building but did not think anything of it."

While Mr Brooks was speaking with the contractors, others on the site managed to find a large piece of rubble which had most of the artwork on.

"It was like finding treasure," he said.

"I have a couple of Banksy prints but not originals.

"To see a piece that had freshly come off a building was pretty cool. It was like the holy grail coming out of a skip."

Mr Brooks lives in Mill Lane, which is very close to the site, and says it is exciting to think Banksy has been right on his doorstep.

"I think it is more exciting that he has come to Herne Bay. It is nice to see something so local," he said.

"I really like Banksy art and to have it initially in my road it makes me think 'did he drive past my house, did I walk past him on the street?' - it is a bit exciting.

"I think he must have wanted it to be destroyed because he usually posts his work if he wants people to see it.

"He has obviously been hanging around for it to be demolished so it is obviously his intention that it was destroyed in some way for this particular piece.

"I know a lot of his pieces tend to be more political whereas the 'Morning has broken' piece really was about a derelict building being torn down."

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 currently being removed ahead of being relocated in Dreamland.

Perhaps the most famous is the giant Brexit mural the artist created in Dover. It was mysteriously whitewashed but plans are now in place for it to be recreated.

Banksy's 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.