Banksy locked up: Plastic screens and wooden fencing put over Islington mural on the side of a block of flats as residents claim local council ‘thinks a piece of art is more valuable than human life’

Plastic screens and wooden fencing have been placed over Banksy’s latest mural on the side of a block of flats in Islington.

Islington Council has opted to introduce security for the new tree mural, painted on the side of a building in Christie Court in Finsbury Park, after vandals threw white paint over it earlier this month.

But residents of the adjacent apartment building have rejected the decision, claiming the authority cares more about the artwork than human life.

They are said to have requested extra security on previous occasions due to security concerns, which was reportedly repeatedly refused due to a lack of funds.

Islington Council said the ‘new security measures’ had been put in place to prevent large crowds from gathering around the artwork after locals raised concerns about the ‘disruption’ it was causing to their lives.

One disgruntled Londoner expressed his frustration after receiving a letter from the council’s Homes and Communities department, claiming their concerns had so far fallen on deaf ears.

The anonymous resident shared an image of the letter, dated March 22, from the desk of Ian Swift, the council’s director of housing operations and deputy business director.

The letter reads: ‘Dear Resident, Due to the new Banksy art installation next to Christie Court, we know you are experiencing an increased number of visitors to your estate.

“While the council welcomes public art, we also recognize that local people may experience some impact from the numbers of people gathering in the area.

‘To reduce the impact of visitors, the council has installed additional fencing to keep people further away from your homes, installed signage asking visitors to be respectful and we have installed a CCTV camera to monitor activities around the tree and artwork to monitor.

‘We are in contact with the building owner, who is the legal owner of the artwork, and will keep you informed of any security measures the owner takes.

‘We believe visitor numbers will decline over the coming weeks as we all adjust to life with this new art installation.

‘Islington is already home to four Banksy artworks in different locations and these don’t attract the number of visitors you see now.

‘We thank you for your support of Islington’s creativity, and for your understanding and patience as we work to resolve issues related to the many people who want to see the art installation.’

The tenant claims no such ‘safety measures’ were ever put in place to protect residents when asked to combat anti-social behaviour.

Concerns center around an alleged troublemaking tenant, whose alleged drug use has brought drug deals, prostitution and violence to the neighborhood’s front door.

The resident wrote in a post on Reddit alongside the letter: ‘Many residents have been living here peacefully for quite some time. We used to hold community meetings and parties in the garden at the back.

‘But in recent years the council has taken in a person who regularly uses drugs and brings drug dealers and users to the estate.

‘There is a foul odor coming from the building that lingers. They have been reported to the municipality and nothing has been done to solve our problem.

‘The resident in question was evicted and then placed back in the building. We only knew this when all the furniture had been removed by the municipality and they were found sleeping on the lawn.

“At that time they were prostitution on the quiet street of Pine Grove.

“There have been numerous brawls and brawls in the streets, which recently resulted in someone smearing feces on the building’s intercom.

‘The residents have kindly asked for fences and/or camera surveillance to prevent this, but we have not received any money in the budget.

‘As great as it is to have this work of art, it just highlights that Islington Council doesn’t care about its residents and Ian Swift thinks a work of art is more valuable than a human life.

‘What would you do in this situation?’

The concerned tenant’s post received more than 160 likes and more than 50 comments from other Londoners reflecting the frustration.

One user said: ‘As unfortunate as it sounds, most people value a work of art (that is worth money) more than human lives, well money is generally valued more than human lives.

“There’s not much you can do in this situation because that’s probably not going to change no matter who’s in power.”

Another added: ‘Islington council is incompetent at best.’

A third wrote: ‘Make a complaint to the social housing ombudsman. Councils are bad and that is why they are regulated by the ombudsman.’

Another replied: ‘Wash that rubbish off, Banksy should just retire…’

A spokesperson for Islington Council said: ‘We want everyone to feel safe at home and we take reports of anti-social behavior seriously.

‘The new security measures at Christie Court have been installed in direct response to concerns raised by tenants over the past week about crowds gathering and the disruption it is causing to their lives.

“We are committed to working with our communities to tackle anti-social behaviour. We encourage residents to report it to us and are open to discussions to help us resolve the issue.”