‘Ugly’ plastic sheet placed over Banksy mural to protect it from ‘idle vandals’

The landlord of the building housing Banksy’s latest tree mural said he erected a giant plastic sheet over the artwork to stop “idle vandalism”.

Neighbors and visitors to Finsbury Park have complained that the plastic sheeting disrupts the view of the elusive artist, who does not want his work to be seen “from behind bars”.

Last week, Islington Council staff were erecting a wooden fence after they were attacked by vandals overnight, with two giant splatters of white paint splattering on Banks’ home.

There are concerns that Banksy chose the dilapidated estate in north London because the plaster fell off, rendering the work ephemeral – perhaps a nod to Balloon Girl, which sold at Sotheby’s It famously self-destructed after being sold for $1.4 million.

But Alex Georgiou of family-run real estate agent Alex Marks, who owns the property, told independent: “We’re less worried about the deterioration of the plaster and more worried about idle vandals.”

He laughed when he heard that since Banksy unveiled his eco-mural, the block had been priced at £19m.

He added: “Do you think it’s worth £19m? Look, if you find someone willing to pay that much – we’ll take it.”

his brother Anthony told independent Before: “This is a property we’ve owned for a long time and there’s no reason we have to do anything with it. Just because Banksy decided to paint some graffiti… we’re just working on it and getting on with it.

“It’s fantastic for Hornsey Road and really puts it on the map.”

Güley Polat traveled from Germany to see the mural and found plastic coverings and wooden boards when he arrived.

She told BBC radio: “It’s very sad. What I saw was a disaster. I didn’t like it.

“It looks like we’re in jail. I don’t think Banksy wants his street art to go into jail.”

The elusive artist has attracted huge crowds after the unveiling of his murals, the most impressive of which is an ecological message and visual allusion to the green leaves of a heavily pruned cherry tree in Hornsey Road, north London.

But just one night later, other graffiti artists silently climbed over the hastily erected fence, writing their tags in the same green as Banksy and daubing the leaves with white paint.

The hoardings and tarps follow “temporary measures” put in place by Islington Council, including regular inspections of fencing and park rangers to manage crowds and help protect the artwork.

An Islington Council spokesman said: “We want everyone to feel safe in their homes and we take reports of anti-social behavior seriously.

“The new security measures at Christie Court are being installed in direct response to concerns raised by tenants last week about crowd gatherings and the disruption it causes to their lives.

“We are committed to working with the community to tackle anti-social behavior. We encourage residents to report this issue to us and welcome conversations to help us resolve the issue.”