The remains of a human skeleton have been discovered in the garden of a bungalow while the homeowner tried to landscape his garden.

The grim discovery was made by a man giving his backyard a revamp in the sleepy Lincolnshire village of Ancaster.

Police and forensics swooped to the small cul-de-sac after the skeleton was found on Saturday afternoon. 

It is not known how old the remains were and formal identification had yet to take place, police said.

A white tent erected in a garden of one of the 1960s bungalows could still be seen on Sunday morning.

Neighbour Malcolm Lister, 82, said the homeowner had not lived there long and found the bones while landscaping his garden.

He said: ‘There were initially two police cars and four vans here, the Crime Scene Investigation unit turned up too. They went in and had a look but we really do not know what’s going on.’

‘They [the owners] have not been there long. This is a quiet area – we know people by sight and one or two by name, other than that everyone keeps themselves to themselves,’ Mr Lister continued. 

Ancaster is a settlement dating back to Roman times, and has a population of 1,000. But residents are not convinced this would be an archaeological find.

Mr Lister said he had been told by police that the bones were ‘not ancient’.

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said the discovery was outside the perimeter of the Roman settlement. 

Maureen and Bill Higgins, 76 and 78, live next door to the home where the remains were discovered. They have lived in the area for four years and described it as ‘quiet’.

Mr Higgins said: ‘Nothing happens around here – we just hope it is someone who has been there for a long, long time. It could be Roman.

‘We just wondered what was going on when we saw the police. [The resident] has been sorting out his garden and he has dug up a few bones.

‘There was an older man who lived here before.

Another neighbour said the scene was like BBC drama ‘Silent Witness’. 

‘I have lived here 16 years and nothing like this has ever happened before. Time Team have been here before, so I would say it’s probably Roman. It’s a quiet village,’ he added.

Police have not disclosed if any arrests have been made, only that an investigation is ongoing.

A visible police presence will remain near the scene as examinations occur.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: ‘We are investigating after the remains of a human skeleton were discovered in Ancaster.

‘Officers were called to a property on Brookside Close, where the bones were discovered by members of the public.

‘At this stage, it is unknown how old these remains are, and formal identification is yet to take place.

‘There will be a visible police presence in the area as we continue to examine the scene.

‘We will release updates as and when we have them.’