Student nabs Banksy's honorary degree at University for the Creative Arts (UCA) graduation

A student grabbed the honorary degree awarded to Banksy while collecting his own award in a moment of drama at a UCA graduation ceremony.

Ben Wray can be seen making a beeline for Banksy's scroll which had been placed on a table at the event this month in Royal Festival Hall in London's South Bank.

One university staff member can be seen attempting to wrestle the parchment back from the 22 year-old but he backs down leaving the arts student to leave the stage hosting the degree aloft.

Ben said the stunt was made to highlight that no students were awarded scrolls on the day and that he left the event with Banksy's scroll.

He said: "I wanted to make a point on my way out.

"We were told that we wouldn't get a scroll delivered to us at a later date.

"I was delayed going on stage and we were told to walk on and nod to the people on the stage.

"I thought I would make the event more memorable and thought I would quite like a scroll."

An Instagram post of the video was liked by Banksy himself and then unliked by the artist forty seconds later.

Ben said: "I was lucky enough to be looking at my phone to see Banksy liking my post and I then screen shotted it.

"Banksy has, in the past, liked posts that he agrees with and then quickly removes that like."

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA), which has campuses in Kent and Surrey, announced in June that it was awarding Banksy an honorary professorship.

Professor Bashir Makhoul, UCA's president and vice-chancellor, said: "He is an example that UCA students can look up to, who uses his talents to disrupt the status quo, while challenging us all to confront some of the key issues of our time - war and peace, inequality - and art's role as a vehicle of social expression."

The BBC reported last month that UCA contacted Banksy via his representatives, and he ‘acknowledged [their] intention’ to present him with the award.

UCA has been approached for comment.