Mitchell had a body of work that ranges from a zoo in Qatar to the Egyptian escalator at Harrods.

He was known for his public art in the UK, including Grade II-listed works across London, as well as significant installations in the United States.

The double-sided Aztec-style piece in Coventry was awarded listed status in 2009.

Historic England described it as “a significant and unusual instance of a 1960s public art commission of high quality”.

Bale said removing the mural, which weighs about 30 tonnes, took six months of planning. It was cut up into four pieces and the last chunk was lifted out on Wednesday.

He told BBC CWR it would be cleaned and stored for a “little while”, with plans for its future likely to be brought forward in the next couple of years.