Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum in London, has been named as The Times newspaper's Briton of the Year for 2008.

Since his appointment as director of the museum in 2002, MacGregor has helped the attraction to become the most visited in London. In 2007, the British Museum attracted more than 5.4 million, an increase of 11 per cent on the previous year. According to the newspaper, MacGregor was approached by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, US, but declined the role to stay with the British Museum.

A spokesperson for the British Museum said, although no official comment had been made, the museum was delighted with the news.