A man has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing a £270,000 Banksy from a London gallery – after Flying Squad officers charged the suspect and safely recovered the painting in just four days.

Larry Fraser, 49, from Beckton, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 9 October where he pleaded guilty to one count of non-residential burglary. On Friday, 14 November, he was sentenced to 13 months.

Larry Fraser (Credit: Met Police)

The dramatic smash-and-grab burglary of the "Girl with Balloon" 2004 signed print was caught on camera at the Grove Gallery, Fitzrovia on Sunday, 8 September 2024.

The thief used a hammer to force entry through the glass doors and concealed his identity with a mask, gloves and hooded jacket.

But Met Flying Squad officers worked tirelessly to identify the suspect and managed to track him to a location several streets away, where he was revealed to be Fraser. They even caught him on CCTV loading the artwork into a van before fleeing the scene.

Fraser was arrested on Wednesday, 11 September at his home address – within 48 hours of the burglary. He was charged the following day.

Officers carried out fast-time covert enquiries and managed to recover the artwork following a warrant on the Isle of Dogs on Thursday, 12 September.

The painting has now been returned to the gallery (Credit: Met Police)

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather, of the Flying Squad, who led the Met's investigation, said: "Banksy's Girl with Balloon is known across the world - and we reacted immediately to not just bring Fraser to justice but also reunite the artwork with the gallery.

"The speed at which this took place is a testament to the tireless work of the Flying Squad officers - in total it took just four days for normality to be restored.

"We recognise the concern and distress that commercial robberies cause for businesses and the communities around them.

"The Met is committed to working with Londoners and will act quickly when crimes have taken place to make the city a safer place."

The manager of the Grove Gallery has now thanked the Met officers for their "remarkable" work.

Lindor Mehmetaj, 29, said: "I was completely, completely shocked, but in a very, very positive way when the Flying Squad showed me the actual artwork.

"It's very hard to put into words, the weight that comes off your shoulders.

"The way that they dealt with it from the moment they arrived on the scene – pragmatic, logical, very composed and ultimately professional.

"But also, to have the artwork recovered after it had been robbed from us is remarkable."

A second defendant, James Love, 54, from North Stifford, was found not guilty of non-residential burglary on Friday, 19 September following a trial.