Banksy tree mural defaced with white paint

A Banksy tree mural in north London that appeared just a few days ago has been defaced with different coloured paint.

Images shared on social media on Wednesday showed two streaks of white paint covering the green artwork on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park.

Heras fencing has also been installed around the tree and wall covered in the paint.

The anonymous street artist Banksy claimed the mural as his own in an Instagram post on Monday.

It featured bright green paint sprayed on to a building behind a cut-back tree, creating the impression of being its foliage.

A stencil of a person holding a pressure hose was also sketched on to the building.

The vivid paint colour matched that used by Islington Council for street signs in the area.