London, May 8 (IANS): A Brexit-inspired mural by acclaimed street artist Banksy showing a metalworker chipping away at a star on the European Union (EU) flag appeared in a coastal town in England, the media reported.

The artwork emerged on Sunday morning on the Castle Amusements building in Dover town near the ferry terminal, which connects the UK with mainland Europe, The Guardian reported.

The mural, which was confirmed by Banksy's representatives to be a genuine work by the elusive artist, is his first comment on the Brexit vote last year.

The stars of the flag "stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe", according to the EU website.

The mural has appeared at a difficult time, when Brexit and the increasingly frosty relationship between Prime Minister Theresa May's government and the EU over negotiations on Britain's departure have become central to the general election on June 8.

The Dover artwork is across the Channel from Calais, where a Banksy mural appeared at the main refugee camp in 2015, showing the Apple founder, Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian immigrant.

A Banksy artwork criticising the use of teargas against refugees in Calais appeared in January 2016 on the French embassy in London, depicting a young girl from the French historical novel Les Miserables with tears in her eyes as CS gas billows towards her.