Banksy artwork appears on side of flats in north London

The artist Banksy has confirmed he is the creator of a large green mural of a tree with apparent environmental overtones which appeared in north London over the weekend.

Residents said they woke up on Sunday to the massive painting on the side of a block of flats in Hornsey Road near Finsbury Park.

Image: Pic: PA

Pest Control, the official body that authenticates Banksy work, confirmed to Sky News that the painting was indeed Banksy's latest offering.

The elusive artist - who shares his work on his Instagram page - also posted a picture of the site on his official page on Monday, showing the wall before and after the work was completed.

The large-scale painting is a green splatter-effect shape, painted behind a cut-back tree - giving the appearance of adding a halo of leaves and foliage to the bare branches.

The green paint drips down to the floor, where a figure of a young girl painted with a stencil in green and black is looking up at the work.

She appears to be holding a pressure sprayer.

The shade of bright green paint used in the piece matches the colour of Islington Council branding, and also seems likely to be a nod to St Patrick's Day, which was on Sunday 17 March.

Trainee clinical psychologist Amy wrote on X: "Proud new caretakers of an apparent new #Banksy piece in Finsbury Park... Woke up this morning to it on the side of flat."

Advertisement

She added: "You can just about see us smiling proudly on our balcony."

She also found a handful of black zip ties left outside by the work, and speculated: "Potentially Banksy's zip ties left at the painting?"

Instagram Instagram , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once

Another resident, James Roe, joked on X: "Banksy came overnight and now my rent will skyrocket."

Islington councillor Flora Williamson shared images of the art on X, and said she was a fan of Banksy's work.

She wrote: "By far the most exciting thing to happen on today's canvass session on Hornsey Road was seeing that Banksy had come to Tollington overnight. Lots of local interest - I'm a fan of it."

X X , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once

Lidia Guerra, another Hornsey Road resident, told PA news agency: "The way it's been done with the paint spraying down reminds me of a weeping willow, so there's perhaps a message about the struggle of nature with the dead tree in front.

"It's just great - when we read about it last night, we knew we had to come and see it as soon as possible.

"We feel so proud to think he chose our street."

X X , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once

Ahead of his latest creation, Banksy's last confirmed work was a stop sign in Peckham, south London, with three military drones stuck across it, and was shared just before Christmas.

However, that work was removed less than an hour after it was confirmed to be genuine on the artist's social media, with witnesses reporting it was taken down by a man with bolt cutters.

Two men were later arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.