A £6 million work by Banksy has been lifted by crane into a new exhibition in London after being removed from Kent.

The mural, titled Valentine’s Day Mascara, weighs 3.8 tonnes and first appeared on the side of a house in Margate on Valentine’s Day.

The artwork depicts a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, wearing an apron and yellow washing-up gloves after throwing a man into a chest freezer, which Thanet District Council removed.

After being lifted from the wall of the house the piece was painted on and displayed at Dreamland.

It was announced in August the work would go up for sale to the public through 27,000 shares priced at £120 each, which were made available on marketplace Showpiece.

Early this morning, the artwork was placed in the foyer of The Art of Banksy exhibition in Regent Street, central London, where the public can see it for free.

Art of Banksy curator, Michel Boersma, said: “We’ve been secretly planning this operation for months but it was still an extremely tense moment having such an important and valuable artwork dangling from a crane above Regent Street.

“We are of course delighted to have it in the exhibition and are offering the public the chance to see it for free as it was created as a street piece.

“It’s a work that casts a light on domestic abuse and as such we are working with several domestic violence support charities and raising funds through donations.”

The appearance of the Banksy sparked a lengthy saga, with hordes flocking to the unassuming residential street – before the freezer was taken away by Thanet District Council.

It was then put back again, before being removed a second time by Red Eight Gallery.

It is also thought items placed alongside the work by the elusive artist were stolen.

Eventually, the work was placed in Dreamland for the public to view for free, but with suggested donations to mental health charity Oasis.

The Art of Banksy exhibition is donating a share of its merchandise sales to several independent charities focusing on refugee support, Ukrainian relief and female empowerment causes.

The exhibition will feature more than 150 works, including Banksy’s Mona Lisa, a signed but previously unknown work which was originally bought directly from the artist by a Hollywood A-list actor in 2003.

Another addition to the collection is the original Flower Thrower, created by Banksy as a Valentine’s Day gift for his then-girlfriend, six years before the artist officially made Love is in the Air.

The Art of Banksy exhibition is not curated or authorised by the artist.

Tickets for the full exhibition start from £17.50 with doors opening tomorrow.