Stolen Banksy artwork honouring Bataclan terror attack victims found 'hidden in attic' in Italy

A stolen artwork by Banksy which was painted as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 Bataclan theatre terrorist attack in Paris has been found in Italy.

Authorities in the city of L’Aquila unveiled the recovered artwork at a press conference on Thursday.

The piece - a black image appearing to depict a person mourning - had been painted on one of the Bataclan's emergency exit doors.

The L'Aquila prosecutors office said the artwork was recovered on Wednesday during a search of a home in Tortoreto, a city near the Adriatic coast in the Abruzzo region's Teramo province.

It had been "hidden well" in the attic, prosecutors said in statement.

Authorities said they were still investigating how the artwork arrived in Italy and the role of the Italians involved. They said the discovery was the result of a joint Italian-French police investigation.

French officials announced the theft of the piece last year. The artwork was one of a series of murals painted in Paris and attributed to Banksy.

According to a police source at the time, thieves with a van had stolen the door on which the artwork was painted.

The identity of Banksy has long been a closely-guarded secret, but that has not stopped him from becoming one of the most prolific artists of the 21st century, gaining attention for his politically-charged works.

Ninety people were killed at the Bataclan on November 13, 2015 when Islamic extremists invaded the music hall.

It was one of several targets hit in the city which killed a total of 130 people.