Buried skeletons are found at prison

DOZENS of 19th century skeletons have been unearthed during construction work at a prison, archaeologists said yesterday.

The remains of at least 24 people were found in deep burial trenches in the grounds of Perth prison.

Archaeologists believe the skeletons date back to the 1830s when an asylum was housed at the site.

Further tests have revealed the men and women most probably died as a result of a typhus epidemic at the institution. The skeletons were discovered during a refurbishment of the prison last year.