Builders unearth two black bags full of human bones

Builders in a seaside town had the shock of their lives when they unearthed two black bags - containing hundreds of human bones.

The bags were buried on the site of a former vehicle workshop, according to eyewitnesses - and could have belonged to up to six people.

Contractors using a digger were stunned when they found a rubble sack bag buried two metres below ground on January 21 at the site of an old garage, and previous to that, the shoreline.

Realising it contained bones, they called police to the scene in Whitstable, Kent, who found a second bag with the help of a forensics team.

Canterbury Archaeological Trust's archives manager, Andrew Richardson, confirmed the remains were from multiple people.

"There are quite a few bones there - we think at least four individuals based on the number of long bones, perhaps more," he told Kent Online. "These bones have been in the ground for some time. How long is hard to say. Based on their colour and fragmentary nature, I'd say that it is probable that these represent older burials disturbed and reburied, perhaps during building works.

"They may have originally been found on the Days Garage site, but they could just have easily have been disturbed elsewhere and reburied there.

"An osteologist could establish how many individuals are present and provide estimates of their ages at death, biological sex and whether any signs of illness or injury are present. All that takes time and money, of course.

"Hopefully the police have this in hand, although Canterbury Archaeological Trust would be willing to assist if needed."

Police are now looking into the age of the bones, but they are yet to open a criminal investigation.