Builders fitting a kitchen had the shock of their lives when they unearthed an ancient skeleton.

The remains of an Anglo-Saxon woman, thought to date from about 800AD, were discovered underneath the foundations of a house in Exeter Street, Brighton.

The grisly find was made as the kitchen was being refurbished and a new floor laid.

Police and experts from Brighton coroner's office were called to inspect the skeleton and were able to tell almost immediately it was particularly old.

It has been put on display at the Booth Museum, in Dyke Road, Brighton.

Assistant keeper Jeremy Adams said the area around Seven Dials was a popular burial area in Anglo-Saxon times, probably because it was a high point and had good views of the sea.

Mr Adams said: "The whole area has shown to be very rich in Saxon burial remains. They tended to chose places with views, like the burial mounds on the Downs, perhaps because it was a token of respect. Rather like the Chinese graves which have good sea views.

"These remains are going into our collection because they are of local significance.

"It is all part of the archaeological history of Brighton and could be used for research on diet and disease.

"My opinion is this skeleton is of an adult female because Anglo-Saxon men tended to be quite big, butch chaps well over 6ft and she is much smaller."

A spokeswoman for the coroner's office said: "The kitchen area of the house was being refurbished and the bones were discovered below the foundations.

"From what I understand, the people in the house were not overly upset, they were just keen to get their kitchen back and for building work to carry on."

East Sussex County Council archaeologists are carrying out research to find out if the remains are linked to other burial sites in the area.

If the bones are not kept at the museum, they may be reburied at a later date.