Mayor of London Boris Johnson today brought the Olympic flag back to British soil.

Boris took the flag in Beijing’s Birds Nest stadium Sunday night in China and flew back economy class to London today.

Flag stays for four years

The white flag emblazoned with the five Olympic rings will remain in London for the next four years until after the closing ceremony of the 2012 Games.

It will fly from City Hall near London Bridge after the Paralympics games end in September.

The Mayor said:

"It is fantastic to be able to bring this historic flag back to London after 60 years. But the great story of our journey towards London 2012 really begins when I return from Beijing next month with the Paralympics flag and both are raised outside City Hall, to remind the world that in less than four years we will stage an Olympic and Paralympics Games they'll never forget."