A Buckinghamshire man travelled more than 50 miles to see a new Banksy mural in north London, only for the artwork to be ruined by vandals.

The mural, a symbol of the need for greenery and environmental care, had two streaks of white paint defaced across it on Wednesday morning.

Will Swann, 72, said that while the white paint was “regrettable”, it did not ruin the artwork.

Mr Swann said: “I don’t think it ruins it at all. You can have exactly the same conversations about it and it hasn’t deterred all these people from coming along.

“It’s no more ruined it than the fence around it. It’s the equivalent of the plate glass in front of the Mona Lisa.”

Patrick Volcker, 47, flew from Germany and said: "I was too late because it was ruined last night.

"It’s sad it happened so fast, but it’s okay because Banksy’s art pieces are always in a temporary style."

Islington Council has arranged temporary measures to protect the work, including fencing it off and regular visits by park patrol officers.

Despite the damage, appreciative throngs of art lovers continue to gravitate towards the mural.

Some climbed on nearby walls to capture striking images of themselves with the artwork.

Claire Carruthers, 31, from Edinburgh, seized the moment to marvel at the green paint aerosoled onto a building behind a pruned tree, creating the impression of natural foliage.

Describing the white paint as "definitely unnecessary", she added: "It's a piece of artwork symbolising that we need greenery in our life, we need nature and we need to do more to save our planet."

The elusive street artist Banksy took ownership of the mural in an Instagram post last Monday.

The vivid green paint used meshed with the hue used by Islington Council for it's street signs.

In a similar vein, a stencil of an individual wielding a pressure hose was sketched onto the building.

In reaction to the vandalism, a spokesperson for Islington Council said: "It’s sad to see the piece has been defaced.

"We are discussing future solutions with the homeowner, to enable everyone to enjoy the artwork while protecting it, the tree, and the surrounding area.

"We’re also in the process of installing a CCTV camera."

They added, as a final note on the power of the mural: "Culture is a powerful way to tell meaningful stories, and we very much hope that the piece, which is still fantastic, will now be left alone for people to enjoy."