The monks of Mount St. Bernard Abbey near Coalville have revealed an unusual discovery was made this week - human bones bricked into one of the walls.

It was a find that was alarming enough to bring in the local police who confirmed that no crime had been committed.

The conclusion was that they had been used for an anatomical display.

But the mystery remained as to why they were put into the walls and had been there for 160 years.

Mount St. Bernard Abbey is the only Cistercian (Trappist) Abbey of Monks in England, and it is the first mitred abbey since the reformation. It was founded in 1835.

The Abbey's Facebook page explained: "Yesterday, Monday 4th January, our builder, Adrian, was working on the chapter house at the abbey. The chapter house was built in 1860.

"He was replacing a ventilation brick in the wall and on removing some stones he discovered a cavity in the wall full of bones.

"On removing some of them it soon became apparent, to his shock, that they were human bones.

"On closer inspection it could be seen that they had been used for an anatomical display as some of them were wired or screwed together and numbered.

"We contacted the police and after a thorough assessment of the situation they were satisfied that these were bones connected with educational or medical purposes and were not connected with any crime.

"We were given leave to bury them and we decided to replace them where they were, as they had been there for 160 years.

"We will put a small memorial there to mark the place and hold a simple religious service.

"The mystery is what were the bones doing there, who put them there and when? There are no records in the abbey archives of anything like this.

"One theory is that perhaps at the time of the construction of the chapter house we were contacted by an educational institution or hospital who no longer had any use for the bones asking if we could suitably bury them and it was decided the chapter house would be a good place for them, even though we have a proper cemetery in the grounds."