KING Richard III was probably killed during a group or sustained attack in which he received two blows to the head, scientists have concluded.

Forensic teams at the University of Leicester which examined his 529-year-old skeleton have revealed the king, who spent much of his childhood in Middleham, North Yorkshire, suffered at least 11 injuries, some possibly inflicted after death.

The researchers said three of the injuries "had the potential to cause death quickly".

Guy Rutty, from the East Midlands pathology unit, said the two fatal injuries to the skull were likely to have been caused by a sword, a staff weapon such as halberd or bill, or the tip of an edged weapon.

He said: "Richard's head injuries are consistent with some near-contemporary accounts of the battle, which suggest Richard abandoned his horse after it became stuck in a mire and was killed while fighting his enemies."

The academics used CT scans of his bones to examine his injuries and to determine the medieval weapons used to inflict them.

A study spokeswoman said: "Richard's injuries represent a sustained attack or an attack by several assailants with weapons from the later medieval period.

"Wounds to the skull suggest he was not wearing a helmet, and the absence of defensive wounds on his arms and hands indicate he was still armoured at the time of his death."

The remains of Richard III, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, were found under a car park in Leicester in 2012.