WORKMEN digging up a street in a North Yorkshire town discovered a skeleton which dates back to pre-Roman times.

A team from Yorkshire Water were digging a hole for a new sewer in Sutton Street, Norton, to help prevent flooding in the area, when they noticed a bone about ten feet down.

Karl Nagy, project manager for Yorkshire Water, said: “We were really lucky that the skeleton was right in the corner of the hole rather than chopping part of it off.

“According to our archaeologist, the fact it’s a Roman town and the way she was laid out suggests pre-Roman.

“He thinks it is a woman as well, due to the bones.”

The skeleton was found on Monday, and work was stopped to allow the archaeologist to take a look at the site and for the body to be removed.

It will go for testing, and will eventually be reburied.

Mr Nagy said: “Work had to be suspended while this took place but all the local residents have been out and had a look and seemed to be quite thrilled that we had found something in their road.

“We phoned the head master and the history department of Norton College, as we thought it was a great opportunity and they dropped their studies and came straight over.”

Work is set to continue on the site into the New Year.