Mystery over 80 skeletons found with 'hands tied behind their backs' on Buckinghamshire building site

A MYSTERIOUS discovery of more than 80 skeletons found buried in shallow graves on a building site has sparked calls for an official probe.

The bodies, many of which appeared to have their hands tied behind their backs, were found on a patch of old farmland in Buckingham – and are thought to have been there for centuries.

They were unearthed early last year during ground works ahead of a 72-bed care home being built on the site after the developer commissioned an archaeological investigation to secure planning permission.

All the bones were removed from West End Farm off Brackley Road, leaving empty holes in the ground – but the archaeologists' report was never revealed.

Now, a local councillor wants answers and has called for Buckinghamshire Council to prepare an interim report to clarify what happened, BuckinghamshireLive reports.

Cllr Robin Stuchbury said: "As you are aware a number of bodies were uncovered during excavations ahead of work for a planned care home.

"This included skeletons of 80 bodies with hands tied behind their backs.

"I would be grateful if the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration could provide an interim report of the basic analysis of this major historic site to provide clarification of what took place and in what date period for local residents.

"I understand that some of the investigations have been halted due to financial issues between the developer and Network Archaeology, which have been ongoing for some considerable time, and if this is the case what action can be taken by the Council to bring this to a quick resolution?"

Following the discovery, historian Ed Grimsdale said he believed the bones were from the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from 410 to 1066.

He told BBC: "This is potentially the biggest find of executed prisoners in the whole of the South of England in Anglo-Saxon times."

Buckinghamshire Council is set to discuss Cllr Stuchbury's request at its cabinet meeting on September 13.

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