The skulls of a man and woman from nearly a hundred years ago have been found in carrier bags in a quiet market town.
Builders made the first discovery behind an empty Budgens store in Totnes, Devon.
As they investigated it police found a second in a separate bag near the River Dart less than a mile away.
Police say the skulls have been examined by specialist officers and are believed to be up to 100 years old.
The woman’s is better preserved and still has some hair. They will be more accurately dated after forensic analysis.
A spokesman said: “One skull is male and the other female, the persons both over 21 years old when they died.
“The female skull was better preserved than the male, having traces of hair present, indicating that it was kept in a crypt-type environment.
“Further inquiries being conducted by Totnes CID but this is not being treated as a criminal investigation at this time.”
