THAMES Water was forced to stop work temporarily last week following the discovery of bones while digging along Alton High Street.

According to historian Jane Hurst, a contractor for the water company, which is carrying out work to repair a damaged surface water sewer outside the banks, came into the Curtis Museum last Tuesday morning saying that bones had been found and the workers were having to down tools.

Its headquarters had been contacted and an archaeologist was being called in to check the discovery to determine whether they were human bones. Thames Water confirmed next day that they were animal bones and that work was able to resume.

According to Mrs Hurst, this is not the first time bones have been discovered along the Northern Wey as it winds its way through Alton.

In 1991, the local paper showed a picture of horn cores which had been found when work was being carried out on Alton Community Centre and she believes that, with the recent collapse in the area of the Lasham Drain, some of this debris may have been washed further downstream, to turn up in the drain as it runs under the High Street.

While the bones and horn are technically owned by Thames Water, Mrs Hurst has asked if the items can be displayed in the Curtis Museum.