SHOPPERS in Worcester city centre are walking over a graveyard that is at least 400 years old, archaeologists have discovered.

The Worcester News reported in May how a skull was found a mere two feet below the ground during excavation work to build a new cycle shelter at The Cross.

Now experts have revealed that they found the remains of three people in the area and have concluded that it was used as a burial site. They think it pre-dates the building of the former St Nicholas Church, now the RSVP bar, which was built in the 18th century.

Simon Woodiwiss, of Worcestershire County Council's archaeology team, said: "It is an exciting find as it adds yet another piece to the jigsaw that is Worcester's past.

"We had no idea until now that this area had been used as a graveyard. We knew that there were remains from the southern side of the St Nicholas Church, which was built in the 1700s, and we believe this site pre-dates that.

"Unfortunately, because the remains were so sparse, we are unable to say anything more than this, or to give an age and sex of the remains.

"We were dealing with just the finds we discovered in a small trench, and did not consider it appropriate to keep digging to find anything else."

The remains, which include the skull and limb bones, will be re-interred at Astwood cemetery.