Has famous street artist Banksy left his mark on bridge?

Bizarre graffiti, which depicts a number of rats, has appeared on a wall under a motorway bridge at Crown Lane, Horwich.

Alongside the rodents is the name Banksy — sparking speculation the urban artist may have visited the town and left his mark.

The artwork shows five rats, one is parachuting, one has a drum or a pipe, one is carrying a camera, another has sound equipment and one is holding what looks like bolt cutters.

Rebecca Sitar, senior lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Bolton, said: “It has all the trademarks of a Bansky, although a little small in scale, his favoured motif of the rat appears in its many guises, with striking black and white graphics.

“However I have a feeling that this time we have a fraudster at work, who may well be a fan too, as Banksy has inspired many followers.

“This artist is still perfecting the technique. Traces of the stencil card remain evident, but maybe this is a postmodernist twist on the Bansky style. It’s a witty piece though and as Bansky himself says about his love of rats being a symbol of the triumph of the little people, this artist has made his mark today.”

Banksy made his mark in his home town of Bristol, when he decorated a series of graffiti paintings on iconic buildings, including the city council headquarters. He has exhibited his work all over the world.

His work is now so popular, the rich and famous have become buyers, including Brad Pitt and Robbie Williams.

The local graffiti has prompted calls that a special wall should be built to give “Bolton Banksy’s” a proper place to create graffiti art.

Cllr Steve Rock, leader of Horwich Town Council and Horwich North East councillor for Bolton Council, said: “I think there should be somewhere that youngsters can do that sort of thing in the borough. I have seen it in other areas and it has worked very well. However, I don’t think it is safe to put graffiti at the side of roads as it is distracting to drivers.”