Say what?

I'm still wondering about something I heard on BBC News last night, with regard to the Elgin Marbles (or Parthenon Marbles). Greece now has a new museum to house them, but the British Museum is refusing to return them to their rightful home. That was the story on BBC.

However, what stunned me was that the British Museum's spokeswoman, an American (?) with no other affiliation given except "spokeswoman", said something along the lines of: "The marbles should stay in England. [in ancient Greece] they were placed looking out to sea, so it was a way of saying that these sculptures should go out into the world across the sea......."

That was it. The end of the report. No other comment on the story.

Call me gobsmacked. Now, I'm not debating the Elgin Marble controversy here, just the unbelievable "reason" given for keeping the marbles in England. So does this mean if something is sitting on a coastline looking out to sea, anyone can sail by and grab it? If I had to give an award for the craziest statement of the week, that would win hands-down.