Bones at the site of a former cemetery have been unearthed by builders working on a new superstore.

The bones of parishioners buried behind St Andrew's Old Church in Hove were disturbed by shocked workmen on Wednesday and may now be exhumed.

Tesco said work would be delayed while it held discussions with archaeologists.

The store, being built on the former gasworks site off Church Road, is due to open on September 1.

Katherine Edwards, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: "When we took over the site it was a school playing field but in days gone by it was part of the cemetery next door.

"Between 1861 and 1883, the church extended into part of what became the playing field and some bodies were buried in the grounds underneath.

"They stopped using it as a burial place after 1883 and it was officially deconsecrated in 1966 by an Act of Parliament."

Tesco commissioned a report before moving on to the site.

Ms Edwards said: "The report told us any bodies buried there would be more than 1.5m down.

"Obviously there are bodies closer to the surface than we thought.

"We have notified the police and the local coroner's office.

"We have also contacted a local archaeology firm for advice on the next steps we should take. We will probably exhume the bodies."

Gravestones were cleared from the site after its deconsecration and families given the option of having their loved ones exhumed and reburied.

Tory councillor Anne Giebeler said people would be upset.

She said: "We all knew there were graves underneath. The other day I couldn't believe it when I saw them drilling quite close to the wall of the remaining cemetery. They were really going down deep and I thought something like this might happen.

"Building a supermarket was fine but no one expected it would impinge on the church as much as it has."

David Guest, communications officer for the Chichester diocese, said: "Something similar happened in Chichester this year and there was an arrangement for those bodies to be reburied in a Christian burial. That is what we, and I'm sure Tesco, would hope would happen in this case."