A TOTAL of 20 skeletons have now been found on the old cinema site close to Malmesbury's historic abbey.

Three skeletons and the skull of a fourth were discovered earlier this month by workmen employed by Chase Homes.

The developer is building three new homes and refurbishing an existing building on the site, which was once a graveyard, next to the abbey. This week it was confirmed that many more skeletons had been found.

Chris Kent chief executive of Chase Homes said yesterday that around 20 skeletons had now been discovered.

"At the moment we are not sure of the exact number as there are lots of bones that are not part of complete skeletons and there are no coffins but it would appear to be about 20," he said.

All of the skeletons have been sent for special analysis and the builder is hoping that by Friday building work will be able to recommence .

A Home Office licence has been obtained which allows the skeletons to be moved but it insists that they are dealt with in a sensitive way once work is complete.

It is expected that eventually the Rev David Littlefair, the vicar of Malmesbury Abbey, would give all the bodies a Christian funeral. But it is not clear if the Abbey grounds can be used.

The original skeletons are thought to date from between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Once they were unearthed, building work was stopped and the ground was dug away to reveal three skeletons lying next to each other, facing east to west.

Later another skull was discovered several yards away. The Cotswold Archaeological Trust was already on hand because of its proximity to the abbey.

At the time archaeologist Alistair Barber said: "Our suspicions are that they are male ."