Banksy identity revealed by Daily Mail. What jerks.

'He is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, artist alive. To some a genius, to others a vandal. Always controversial, he inspires admiration and provokes outrage in equal measure.

A network of myths has grown up around him. That his real name is Robin Banks. That he used to be a butcher. That his parents don't know what he does, believing him to be an unusually successful painter and decorator.

Then there's the suggestion that Banksy is actually a collective of artists and doesn't exist at all.

Indeed, trying to establish just who the elusive Banksy is has proved as difficult as predicting the location of his next work.

But now, after an exhaustive year-long investigation in which we have spoken to dozens of friends, former colleagues, enemies, flatmates and members of Banksy's close family, The Mail on Sunday has come as close as anyone possibly can to revealing his identity.'

Read the rest of the 2008 article on Daily Mail.