WAKING up with a Banksy sprayed on your wall can often sound like winning the lottery, with tales of house prices hitting the roof overnight.
But infuriated residents of one north London street have painted a very different picture, revealing how a recent mural by the street artist has seen them terrorised by rude tourists and left to deal with a fading, peeling eyesore.
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In March 2024, residents in Hornsey Road, Islington, discovered a giant splatter of green paint against the wall of a block of flats.
Depicting a woman holding a pressure washer, with a spray of green across the wall mimicking the leaves of a nearby pruned tree, the mural quickly drew crowds from all over the world as it was revealed to be a genuine Banksy.
For those living nearby, it was a blessing for someone so well-known to put their area on the map.
But for some of those actually living next door, it was a different story altogether.
“The first month or two, it was absolutely horrendous,” said one woman, who lived in the block of flats next to the artwork.
Right in front is a fenced off patch of grass where the half-trimmed tree stands.
It also backs up right against the windows of the disturbed residents living in the next-door block of flats.
“It was like a cheese and wine party on the grass,” the neighbour continued.
“People were literally bringing wine glasses. Forget it if you were trying to sleep too, because this was going on until 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. It was absolutely rammed.”
What made matters worse was that the person on the ground floor was an elderly unwell lady.
“Even though she respected that people had come to see it, when she asked them to keep the noise down people were being really abusive.
“So for us, it wasn’t the best of things at first. It made the world go mad.”
Security bill
In recent years, reports have claimed that homes with a Banksy work sprayed on them – and those in the surrounding area – have sold for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, above their usual asking price.
Famously, Banksy’s mural ‘Hula-Hooping Girl’ on a salon in Nottingham sold for “a six figure sum” after it was bought by an Essex art dealer and removed – triggering criticism in the city.
Now many residents in Islington are failing to see the upside of their own Banksy and claim they have even been footed with the bill for upkeep.
Though created to serve as a reminder of the impact humans have on the natural world, the ground around the Hornsey Road Banksy soon found itself home to litter.
And just three days after appearing, the green splatter was itself partially defaced with white paint, leading the council to put up a camera to deter further damage.
Meanwhile, the building’s owner – far from rejoicing – ended up with a serious bill.
With the threat of further vandalism now hanging over the artwork, landlord Alex Georgiou ended up having to hire 24/7 security, according to barber Andrew Panayiotou, a friend of the owner who works in the neighbouring building.
“It was madness,” he said, remembering when it first appeared.
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“People came from everywhere. At least for a week the streets were packed. But it wasn’t annoying.
“Then it started to slow down, but people were still coming for months.
He added: “The guy that owns that building had to hire security for a week. And then he had to put the perspex up.”
It was yet another cost, with the perspex coming to at least £2,500.
I don’t think it’ll last long now. The paint’s peeling away, and it’s just not like it used to be
James Bradley
When the cover was being installed, Alex’s dad, George, was mistaken for the artist due to his resemblance to a photo that supposedly “unmasked” the illusive artist.
At the time he slammed the council for their lack of help.
He said: “They want us to preserve it, we asked them to cough up a bit, they completely blew us out.
“They weren’t interested in financial help.”
Faded glory
Though protected, the unmaintained mural is now a lot more sorry looking and dilapidated.
Parts of the paint are peeling off and the perspex itself has become grubby.
Londoner James Bradley, 67, told how he thought it a shame it’s become such a sorry state.
“There were loads of people visiting. There were even some families who had come all the way from America.
“I even thought I could make a bit of money by selling tea from out of my flat. The only problem was, my kettle broke!”
“To be honest, it looked great at first. But I don’t think it’ll last long now. The paint’s peeling away, and it’s just not like it used to be.
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“There was even a bee infestation too for a while,” he added with a grin.
As it turned out, the perspex covering provided a handy – and hard to reach – area for the bees to nest.
But on the night the mural appeared, James inadvertently became part of a very select club – as he’s one of only a handful of people who’ve seen the graffiti artist in the flesh.
Not that he knew it at the time, thanks to Banksy’s all-black outfit and face covering.
It was a rare insight into how the artist goes about his business so stealthily.
“It was in the early hours of the morning. I saw him, in all black, mixing the green paint up on an old door which he used as a pallet.
“I hardly paid attention to it at the time because I didn’t realise who it was.
Somehow, he’d gotten hold of one of the keys that’s used to unlock it
James Bradley
Next to the building is a medium size locked brick and concrete shelter for the waste bins – which is where James saw Banksy head next.
“Somehow, he’d gotten hold of one of the keys that’s used to unlock it.
“He went and dumped the door he’d been using in there.”
Amusingly, the Islington council notice on the front of the bin store warns people that such dumping carries up to a £50,000 fine.
Curse or blessing?
As it turns out, other people around the country can tell a similar tale of how a visit by Banksy ended up putting them in the red.
Gert and Garry Coutts owned a building in Lowestoft, Suffolk, that in August 2021 got covered by a giant seagull mural.
But despite the artwork being worth an estimated £3million, it ended up costing them thousands.
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When the local council put a preservation order on the mural, the couple became liable for its upkeep at a cost of £40,000 a year.
They then forked out to have the entire artwork removed, which was no easy task.
A crane had to be used to lift away the entire side part of the wall, costing £400,000 in total.
And it cost £3,000 a month to then store the artwork in a special climate-controlled warehouse.
Meanwhile in Margate, back in 2023, a mural of a 50s-style housewife appeared on the side of a house.
Sam, the building’s owner, ended up going into partnership with the head of a local gallery to remove the wall at a cost of over £200,000 – more than the entire house was worth.
What to do when Banksy comes to town
OPINIONS differ on whether waking up to a Banksy mural on your home is a blessing or a curse, so what should you do if you find yourself the unwitting host of the street art?
“It’s very much a seller’s market and so I would suggest acting quickly if you want to capitalise on the situation,” Julia Bell, art advisor and founder of Parapluie, told Tatler.
“You could also separate the artwork from the property and conduct a separate sale transaction. If you wish for the mural to remain on your property, you will need to take steps to protect it.
“You could also seek a preservation order from your local council, but there are conditional costs incurred by doing so.”
Steph Warren – the only person ever to work for Banksy without signing his non-disclosure agreement – told the first series of the BBC Podcast that situation is crucial for much of his art.
“With Banksy, where he puts the art is fundamental,” she says. “Remove the work from the precise place on the streets that he put it, and the work instantly loses its power. Context is everything.”
Now the owner of street-art gallery Stelladore in St Leonards, she also believes painting over the work is better than tearing out walls.
“Rather than it costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, buy a five litre tub of emulsion and paint over it,” she says. “These things are not meant to be removed and stored. They are supposed to be looked at, admired, photographed and painted over.”
Back on Hornsey Road, students Millie, 20, and Elizabeth, 21, are the current occupants of one of the flats in the building the artwork is painted on.
“Sometimes we’ll be sat having dinner and people keep looking up at us, or taking pictures of our window,” they said.
“For the first few weeks, we were like, why is everybody looking at us?
“It’s a useful landmark though. One time we had to call an ambulance, and it was very useful and quick on the phone to pinpoint where we were.”
Though the mural may now be in a more sorry state, it’s at least fared better than others in London which ended up stolen just hours after appearing.
In December 2023, an artwork depicting drones on a stop sign in Peckham was removed with bolt cutters, with two people ending up arrested.
And back in August, another Banksy in Peckham – this time showing a howling wolf on a satellite dish – was also nicked almost as soon as it was revealed.
As for the Hornsey Road tree, it remains to be seen if it will ever get a touching up from the artist.
The Sun has reached out to Banksy’s representative and Islington Council for comment.
