Artist Banksy pulled off a brilliant stunt at Sotheby's auction house in London on Friday night when one of his artworks self-destructed moments after selling for just shy of 1 million pounds.

Girl with a Balloon (2006) was the final lot of the night and went for £953,829 - exactly the same figure as the artist’s previous auction record.

However, as soon as the piece was sold, an alarm was triggered inside the work of art and the audience watched in horror as the canvas slipped through the faux-gilt frame and was shredded to pieces.

This video shows the stunned reactions of Sotheby's staff, art buyers and other members of the audience.

The auction house later said they were in discussions with the buyer about what the next steps would be.

At least one art expert has suggested the stunt may have instantly doubled the value of the work.