A group of builders working on a driveway in Purley, Croydon were given an unpleasant surprise when they uncovered human bones buried only six inches deep.
The workers, who had been there for only a few hours, initially thought that the bones were perhaps coconuts. However, upon closer inspection they were found to be human remains, which included a skull as well as a femur.
Police arrived at the scene soon after the discovery was made and after sending photos to experts confirmed that they were in fact the bones of human beings.
The bones have now been sent to anthropologists who will try to find out how old the bones are and, if they are younger than 70 years old, further investigations will have to be carried out.
The location of the house where the bones were found is above an ancient Saxon burial ground and it is thought the bones are quite old.
Detective Sergeant Kenny Windsor from Croydon CID, who is leading the investigation stated: “At this early stage in the investigation it would appear that the bones have been there for many years.
“Any requirement for an investigation will be determined by the age of the bones and we’re seeking the assistance of anthropologists to try and establish this, but we may also have to use carbon dating techniques to confirm their age. We are carrying out other enquiries in the meantime.
“It is an unusual discovery, but we’re keeping an open mind about whether the bones were originally buried there or indeed moved there for some reason.
“We’re also aware that there is an ancient Saxon burial site in the vicinity but at this stage, the direction of our investigation hinges on establishing the age of the bones.”
