A piece of street art that had some Oldham residents questioning if the famed artist Banksy was behind it has been completed and the artist has been identified.

The artwork, which depicts a boy sailing on a boat towards an island, first appeared on the side of Snippers Barber Shop on Broadway in late December and prompted some locals to believe Banksy was behind it.

Now, a Salford-based street artist who calls himself Mr Eggs has confirmed he was behind it and that it is part of a wider project.

A map with instructions is part of the artists project.

A map with instructions is part of the artist's project.

He said: "It doesn’t really mean much per se.

"It’s the introduction to a treasure hunt that starts in five days time, the folk of Manchester have to watch Instagram and Twitter for treasure clues and photo all eight paintings and send me the photos but not to take the treasure left in place.

The details of the treasure hunt can be found on the large map next to the artwork, with the other works scattered around East Manchester.

The work was first started in December but only finished recently (Image: Christine Lowe).

The work was first started in December but only finished recently (Image: Christine Lowe).

The artwork on Broadway was initially spotted by the owner of Snippers, Julie McLoughlin, when she arrived for work one morning in late December, although it had not been finished.

Readers were divided when the artwork was first reported on over whether or not it was the work of the famous Banksy, known for his often politically or socially-charged works of art.

In a poll, 69 per cent of almost 150 voters said the did not believe it was Banksy, with 31 per cent saying they felt it was his work.

Asked about his work being similar to Banksy's, Mr Eggs shrugged off the comparison and insisted that stencils have been a common form of street art for a number of years.

The completed artwork.

The completed artwork.

Looking forward, Mr Eggs says Oldhamers can expect to see more of his work around the borough.

He said: "I’ve got a couple of new ones planned for Oldham soon."