Sign up to FREE email alerts from Liverpool Echo - Weekly Politics Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The owner of five pieces of Banksy artwork taken down from Liverpool walls says they have been sold for millions of pounds – and could be put on show in the Middle East.

Consultancy Samuel Beilin and Partners says an “anonymous Qatari buyer” has bought the works, including the famous White Rat and Love Plane, for $5.2m (£3.85m)

The Banksy works were due to be put on show in a “street art” gallery in Berry House in the Baltic Triangle.

But developer North Point Global has now pulled out of all its city projects, including Berry House, blaming the ECHO and the city council for its decision.

And Samuel Beilin and Partners says the “adverse publicity” around North Point Global’s stalled developments left the work “tainted” .

The White Rat was on the wall of the derelict White House pub in Berry Street for many years but was taken down in 2013 so the building could be restored.

Meanwhile the Love Plane was taken down from a wall in Rumford Street last year so that building could be refurbished.

Samuel Beilin’s statement this morning did not say what the other Banksy works involved are.

But the website of Sincura, the company NPG was working with on its street art gallery plans, shows another Banksy piece that was set for the street art museum.

The piece, created at the time of 2004’s Liverpool Biennial, shows one of Banksy’s famous rats with the words “Never liked The Beatles”.

In July, North Point Global announced it was leaving the city, saying its image was “damaged beyond salvage”. It blamed the ECHO and the “vitriolic” actions of Liverpool council for leaving its position unsustainable.

The company was locked in a legal row with the council over the stalled New Chinatown scheme and had accused the council of a “witch hunt” over its legal threats.

The ECHO has this year continued to investigate North Point Global and the failure of the New Chinatown, Pall Mall and Baltic schemes.

In a statement about the Banksys today, a spokesman for North Point Global Group said “We are not surprised that these valuable and highly sought after works have been sold but with the sale of our investment and development properties ongoing we weren’t able to accommodate them and both the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool City Council have made it impossible for us to carry on business in the city.”

A spokesman for Samuel Beilin and Partners said “Whilst it is disappointing that this wall art is leaving Liverpool our client believed that it had become tainted by all of the adverse publicity being aimed at North Point Global Group by both the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool City Council.

“They have therefore completed a sale to an overseas buyer who will be exhibiting the works, along with many others, across the Middle East very soon.”

Samuel Beilin, 54, of Allerton Road, Mossley Hill, was last week among four people to be charged with perverting the course of justice .

Mr Beilin, along with Lee Spencer, Kevin Corish and Sarah Spencer, are set to appear in court next month.

The charges come as part of an investigation into mobile phone communications made during a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.