A BOURNEMOUTH artist has done a Banksy and made himself £10,000 in the process.

Cameron Hope was astonished when his graffiti-art treatment of an old picture of the Studland Dene Hotel in Bournemouth sold to an anonymous buyer.

The piece, which was painted shortly after development plans began for the hotel site, was picked up at an exhibition held last month in a Poole Road gallery, Westbourne.

Cameron, whose collection includes mainly city scenes and coastal canvases, spray painted the phrase “sold for development” over the black and white image after the hotel was demolished two years ago.

He never expected to get any interest in it: “I painted it for the owner of the hotel at the time and he didn’t like it so I painted over it and put it in my garage.

“When I held the exhibition, I never imagined anyone would buy it,” he said.

“Let alone for such a high price.”

He added: “The most I have ever sold one of my paintings for was £2,500.”

The site on Studland Road is currently being developed into a block of flats and restaurant.

The buyer of the painting remains anonymous.