LOUVRE it or hate it, the drab wall outside this hair salon has been brightened up with a real work of art!

A copy of the Mona Lisa, one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous creations, has been painted on the side of Easy Hairdressing, in Wickford High Street.

The shop was forced to paint over its previous mural, showing a man, holding scissors, and the slogan saying “Easy Hairdressing”, after Basildon Council said it was an unlawful advert and residents complained it was an eyesore.

Now the venue is asking its customers to pay to submit a design for the wall and one entry will be picked and produced every three months.

Andy Morris, 50, who owns Easy Hairdressing, said he wanted to use the space as a “rolling gallery” to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

He said: “The council wasn’t pleased because it said the mural was an advert, but I argue it was art.

“Originally I did it as a bit of fun, but it has caused so much interest I am going to invite local people to submit designs. It will cost £1.50 to enter, then at the end of two or three months an artist will put it on the wall.

“All the money raised will be donated to Help for Heroes.”

Artist Brett Mann, 20, from Rayleigh, created the original mural and painted over it with a Mona Lisa design last weekend .

The Mona Lisa, which sits in the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, is regarded as the most famous painting in the history of art.

Brett has agreed to regularly paint designs on the salon wall for free to support the fundraising scheme.

He said: “The winners of the competition will get to paint the wall with me.”

Residents and businesses complained about the original design when it went up earlier this month.

Basildon Council served the salon with an enforcement notice requiring the removal of the mural because it was deemed to be an advert without planning permission.

A spokesman for Basildon Council said: “The new painting is perfectly acceptable because it is not an advert as it doesn’t carry the name of the salon or its activities.”