STREET art which could be the work of the world famous artist Banksy has appeared in a coastal town.

The spray painting appeared on the pill box by the Stone Pier next to Harwich’s Beacon Hill Fort with an expert convinced it is the genuine article.

The street art depicts a young boy in Victorian-era clothing with a face mask on the end of a fishing line.

Crowds gathered to get an exclusive snap alongside the potentially significant artwork while security was put in place to protect it.

Michael Smith runs along the seafront and Dovercourt Bay up to four times a week and, on his run at 8am today, spotted the street art.

“The new artwork caught my eye straight away,” he said, “and my first thought was it could be Banksy.

“I think it could well be his work as he has been busy in the region on his spraycation.

“I really like his work and believe it will be very popular. The picture is clever and has amazing detail.

“I’m sure there will be lots of fans coming to have a look.”

Tendring Council leader Neil Stock also welcomed artwork by the anonymous artist.

He said: “Banksy is one of the world’s greatest living artists.

“His works are provocative, thought-provoking and controversial, but also clever, witty and incredibly creative.

“We are hugely delighted that it appears he has chosen to come to Harwich and leave us with a reminder of his visit.

“We immediately put security in place and are taking further steps to protect this artwork as we await confirmation that it is indeed the latest piece of the artist’s ‘Spraycation’ in East Anglia.

“We’ve had an expert check it out who says if it’s not a Banksy then it’s an incredibly similar one, it has all the hallmarks of his work.

“We can’t say absolutely but we know he has been on the east coast and I’ve been hoping he was going to pay us a visit.”

It comes after ten new artworks by the artist recently popped up across coastal towns in witty interpretations of summertime fun.

A short film posted to Instagram shows the anonymous artist driving around Norfolk and Suffolk as he paints his signature stenciled murals while hiding in plain sight.

And if the enigmatic artist admits responsibility for the latest street art in Harwich, then it won’t be the first time he has left his mark in Tendring.

In 2014, Banksy painted a mural on a beach patrol boathouse on Clacton’s West Beach during the town’s high-profile by-election.

The work, which art experts at the time believed could have been worth about £200,000, showed a group of pigeons holding anti-immigration placards and was thought to refer to the by-election.

But the satirical mural was scrubbed clean by council staff after a complaint that it was “racist”.