Parthenon marbles should never have been removed, Boris Johnson wrote

In 2012 letter to Greek official, then London mayor said that ideally the sculptures would have stayed in Athens

Boris Johnson believed in 2012 that the Parthenon sculptures should never have been removed from the Acropolis," and admitted that ideally they would continue to be seen in their entirety in Athens, a letter shared with the Guardian reveals.

Writing to a provincial Greek official, the then mayor of London and future British prime minister noted: This is a matter on which I have reflected deeply over many years. In an ideal world, it is of course true that the Parthenon marbles would never have been removed from the Acropolis and it would now be possible to see them in situ."