A POSTER mocking BHS owner Sir Phillip Green has appeared in a store window as a Parliamentary inquiry into the firm’s collapse gets underway.

Artist John Bulley, from Southchurch, has admitted painting the image of the businessman but denies gluing it to the front of the Southend High Street department store.

The painting, which was first spotted on Sunday evening, features the controversial mogul’s face, with his Sir title crossed out.

The phrase "Where's my pension?" is scrawled across the bottom of the poster.

Mr Bulley said: “Apparently one of my artworks was stuck on the BHS window.

“I admit that I painted the picture. I’m quite happy with it.

“But the person who stole it off me and stuck it on the window is a wanton vandal.”

BHS, which has 164 stores across the country including in Southend and Basildon town centre's, went into administration last month with £1.3billion of debt and a £571m pension deficit.

The retailer was sold last year by Sir Philip for £1 to a consortium called Retail Acquisitions, headed by financier Dominic Chappell.

The group was in talks with Sports Direct, but a deal to sell off some of the stores collapsed.

MP Frank Field, chairman of the work and pensions committee, has said Sir Philip's knighthood should be removed if he does not repay £571million to BHS's pension fund.

The committee is investigating the situation around the firm’s problems.

Mr Bulley said he hopes the painting cheered up BHS staff before it was removed yesterday morning.

He said: “I think the situation is outrageous. I felt hugely disappointed for the people of BHS.

“Not only are they losing their jobs they are going to have no pensions.

“Something has got to be done about this."

Mr Bulley added: “The whole point of doing something like that is to make a point about the poor people who have worked all their lives for BHS.

“I would imagine that you would get a grim sort of smile out of it if you work there.

“My spies on the street tell me it was removed very quickly."

Sir Phillip, who runs the Arcadia group of High Street stores, said he was “horrified” by comments made by Mr Field and called for him to step down from the work and pensions committee.