A sculptor whose father brought Greek food to Brighton is sending his own version of the Elgin Marbles back to Athens.

Josef Koumbas' Elgin's Roundabout is a series of seven stone tablets inspired by the 2,300-year-old friezes removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in 1801.

Mr Koumbas, 57, who created the 'kaleidochrome' sign which adorned the Palace Pier before it was re-named Brighton Pier, produced the works as his final degree piece at Central St Martin's College, in London.

He plans to exhibit the 11ft long seven-sided cast at venues across Europe before it reaches the Olympic stadium in time for the opening ceremony in 2004.

He said: "It has had such a tremendous amount of interest, it has been phenomenal.

"My father was one of the first Greek Cypriots to move to Brighton and I was brought up with stories of classical architecture and the Elgin marbles.

"I found an old cast from the British Museum in the college and worked from there. The finished result has stirred up that whole old hornets' nest about whether the marbles should be returned.

"Personally I think they should go back."

Mr Koumbas' father Chris emigrated to Brighton in the 1930s and set up the A1 Cafe, the first Greek cafe in the town near Brighton Station, which became an infamous haunt for a host of local characters.

He said: "All the villains who went up to the races would stop off there. They loved my dad and the all used to call him pop."

Mr Koumbas is in talks with Greek authorities about shipping his huge sculpture to the Aegean.

He is also searching for venues which can put the statue on show in the run-up to the games.

The Greek authorities have been demanding the return of the disputed Elgin Marbles since the 1940s and are pinning their hopes on having the infamous statues returned in time for the 2004 Olympics.

A £29 million Acropolis museum was commissioned by the Greek government to house the artefacts last months.

If they are not back when the museum opens, a huge empty space will be left in the main hall to remind an expected three million visitors a year of the British attitude.