Following the theft of one of Banksy's most well-known paintings from a central London gallery, two men have been charged with burglary.

One of the most well-known pieces created by the stencil artist is Girl with Balloon.

The picture has been recovered after the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad looked into the crime.

Larry Fraser, 47, from Beckton, and James Love, 53, from North Stifford, were charged on Thursday with non-residential burglary and remanded in police custody.

An investigation was launched after a burglary on Sunday at a gallery in New Cavendish Street at about 11pm.

Girl with Balloon was the only artwork stolen and will be returned to the gallery.

Images of a girl reaching up for a heart-shaped red balloon were stencilled across London by Banksy from 2002. It first appeared on an wall in east London and was also sprayed under Waterloo Bridge.

Limited edition prints were then made for sale, as well as hand-sprayed versions. Many are highly valuable and fetch large sums at auction.

In 2018 a framed copy of the artwork fetched more than £1m before self-destructing on stage. Moments after the hammer fell, alarms sounded and the canvas dropped through a hidden shredder built into the bottom of the large ornate frame.

The winning bidder decided to keep the purchase and the partially shredded picture was given a new title, Love is in the Bin.

Love is in the Bin was sold three years later for a record £18.5m at Sotheby’s in London.