AN investigation has been launched after a a skull and bones were found in Blackburn town centre.

A man picking up litter found the remains in grass outside Blackburn Cathedral, close to the Cafe Northcote, at around 9.20am yesterday.

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An area was taped off as the bones were recovered and initial forensic investigations were carried out.

It is believed the skull could have been a child’s and the bones are from an adult.

Work is set to be undertaken to establish their origin but police have said they appear to be very old.

The 62-year-old man who found the bones said: “I was doing a litter pick and I found the skull and a few bones under a bush.

“I thought it was an animal at first but I looked again and saw they could be human so I went to the police station to tell them.

“Police put tape around it, put the bones on some cardboard, photographed them and took them away.

“One of the officers told me they thought it was a child’s skull and and adult’s bones.

“This area has all been developed and it used to be a grave so you expect it. It was still a bit surprising.”

Canon Andrew Hindley said: “There has been some excavation and they must have come to the surface in the Cathedral Square area. My suspicion is they’re from the 1830s.

“We are not happy when this happens but occasionally in all church yards things come to the surface.

“When he had done work on the Cathedral Square we had a policy in place that any bones which came to the surface were carefully stored in the Cathedral grounds.

“They were then given a proper Christian burial in the church grounds and placed somewhere where they won’t be disturbed again. We will look at doing something similar with these bones.”

A police spokesman said: “While the bones are yet to be formally assessed, early indications are that they are thought to be very old. Enquiries are on-going.”

Police have informed the coroner.