Lyme Regis has ‘tamed’ notorious graffiti artist Banksy.

So claims town councillor Rikey Austin.

Councillor Rikey Austin said: “I think it’s wonderful and so lucky that this usually socially to the bone artist has chosen our town to paint this symbol of peace and prosperity.

“Even hard nuts like Banksy crack when they come to Lyme Regis.

“I bet he spent the day paddling and wriggling his toes in the sand whilst eating ice creams.

“Now there’s an image.”

The purported Banksy mural is now being incorporated in literary and historical walks around the town by Literary Lyme’s Natalie.

And who better to show visitors to Lyme Regis the mural than tour guide and English graduate Natalie.

Natalie, who did a project on graffiti as part of her degree, said she noticed the distinctive crane several months ago and has been keeping an eye out on Banksy’s website ever since.

Ms Manifold runs Literary Lyme – Jane Austen, John Fowles and Mary Anning inspired walking tours of the town.

She said: “I noticed the mural a few months ago and kept checking on his website.

“My boyfriend and I went there to take some pictures of it and that reminded me to have another look and it was there on his website.”

The mural, which she says is one of the main topics of conversation in the town, will now form part of both her literary and historical tours of the town She said: “I am going to incorporate it now in my tours as a quick detour.

“When you see people in Lyme now it is one of the main things they ask you.”

Natalie will be running tours on Saturdays in June.

Lyme artist Linda Bristow said: “I like it very much, I think it is quite fun really.

“You wouldn’t expect Banksy to be wondering around Lyme Regis.

“I don’t know what the thinking is behind the origami though but it is very attractive.”

Bob Brooker, the webmaster for lymeregis.org said they did an article about the mural in April before it was authenticated in any way.

He said: “It is good and the news of it is all over the place.

“Anything positive that highlights Lyme Regis is a good thing.

“It always seems to be a bit of mystery, even though it is on his website I don’t know that he’s actually said to anybody ‘I did it’.

“He has such a reputation that he can wander round and claim authenticity but nobody else has claimed it.”