HUMAN remains have been unearthed in the garden of a Clifton house.

Builders carrying out renovations to a period property in Richmond Hill made the gruesome discovery at about 10am on Friday.

Shaun Streeter, 47, a machine driver was excavating the garden to make a car park for the new offices at the address.

He said: "I was driving the JCB and we were excavating the grounds to lay the foundations for a car park. As I was digging I noticed something in the corner that looked a bit strange. I thought it might have been an animal bone.

"One of the other lads came over and we found two skulls in the ground. One was definitely smaller than the other and looked like a it could have been a child's. We found part of a jaw and a little leg bone and it looked like it had been cut."

The workmen called police and were advised to stop digging while forensic tests were carried out. A pathologist later revealed that the bones were extremely old.

Mr Streeter added: "I've heard that there could have been a medical unit in the area previously so it could be linked to that. The strange thing is that when I was digging I found a big sheet of concrete, like the sheets you get on prefab garages, it was a very big piece and it didn't seem to be there for any reason but then a bit further underneath we found the bones. It all seemed a bit odd.

"I've been doing this sort of work for a long time now. I once thought I'd come across a bomb but I've never found human bones before. It's all a bit dark."

Builder Mark Hudson, 39, was also at the scene when the discovery was made. He was certain it was an adult skull, as well as a smaller skull and set of bones.

Mr Hudson said: "We've been told the bones are very old and that even a museum wouldn't be interested, so we've been told we can continue work."

Wayne Baker, spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Police were called to a property in Richmond Hill, Clifton, following reports of human remains at the address.

"The workmen have been allowed back on site after the bones were found to be very old. They were very brittle and the membrane had honeycombed. It is not being treated as suspicious and the bones will either be destroyed or passed on to a museum."