Builders ruin Banksy street art, horrify Melbourne residents

As a tradesperson, you may often have to keep one eye on the task you are completing and another on the client's personal property that you're working around.

It certainly wouldn't be the end of the world if something was accidentally damaged - and sometimes a good business insurance policy may be able to cover for such occurrences - however maintaining a good relationship with clients can often hinge on the care you show when dealing their things.

So consider how the Melburnian builders felt who accidentally destroyed a piece of street art painted by a world-famous personality, as reported by the ABC today (May 16).

The picture of the parachuting rat was reputedly worth tens of thousands of dollars and was painted by the reclusive British artist on a street wall in Prahran about 15 years ago.

The wall was knocked down when workers were replacing pipes for a cafe.

Residents were reportedly "horrified" when they realised what had happened and are now urging the local council to create a register for street art to make sure this doesn't happen again.

"[The builders] have unconsciously taken a part of Melbourne, taken a part of history which is really important to do with street art, and just destroyed it without even thinking about it," local business owner Tina McKenzie told the ABC.

This story could be an interesting case study for tradies educating their apprentices, or just a timely reminder about the pitfalls of accidental carelessness!