The British Museum has been accused of provocative indifference by Lina Mendoni, the Minister of Culture, condemning the holding of a charity dinner at the site where the Sculptures of the Parthenon are housed.

“Repeatedly and over time the Ministry of Culture has condemned dinners, receptions and fashion shows held on the grounds of Museums, in which memorials and works of art are exhibited,” Ms Mendoni said in a statement, noting that these are actions “offensive to cultural goods and endanger the exhibits themselves”.

“This is exactly what the Management of the British Museum did last Saturday, once again using the Sculptures of the Parthenon as decorative elements for the dinner it organised. The safety, integrity, and ethics of the monuments should be the primary concern of the British Museum, which is once again showing defiant indifference.”