Picture: Sotheby’s

A Banksy picture that went through a shredder has been sold for a record £18,582,00.

The painting – Love Is In The Bin – was auctioned at Sotheby’s in London.

The artwork was originally called Girl With Balloon.

When it first sold for £1.1 million the picture passed through a shredder hidden in the frame as the auctioneer’s hammer came down.

However, despite the shredding, the buyer decided to keep the work – making a staggering £17 million profit.

Alex Branczik, of Sotheby’s, said:

“It is almost three years to the day since one of the most ingenious moments of performance art this century made auction history.

“It has been a whirlwind to follow the journey of this now legendary piece and to have it back in our midst, offering it tonight in the very room it was created by the artist.

“Banksy is no stranger to making headlines and this latest chapter in his story has captured imaginations across the world – we can only begin to guess what might come next.”

The seller of the artwork described the shredding as “surreal”.

He said he had become the “accidental – but very privileged – owner of Love Is In The Bin”.