HISTORICAL items dating back to the 19th Century has been discovered at what was a derelict former methodist chapel - including a bone once thought to belong to a Roman warrior but which is in fact a sheep's bone.

The discoveries were in a time capsule buried in 1860 at Morison Hall, a Methodist chapel in Hartlepool which has been transformed into affordable housing.

As well as the 'Roman warrior' sheep bone, it contained booklets from 1854 and 1859 demonstrating the building’s religious past, a florin coin, a copy of three newspapers dated 1859, the only surviving copy of the original poster advertising the laying of the Foundation Stone and a small tin match-box with pieces of cut up leather and clothing, the background of which is currently a mystery.

An explanatory letter details the people involved in the building project in the 19th Century and its costs. The building cost £2,100 in 1859, which in real terms today for employing labour and the cost of materials is £1.3million. All the objects are in the environmentally-controlled museums store in Hartlepool ahead of further inspection and research into their heritage.

Pupils at St Bega's Primary School in the town have now filled a new time capsule to buried. The 2016 time capsule prepared by the school children included one of every coin, a newspaper and information about contemporary icons including Stephen Hawking, the Queen and astronaut Tim Peake.

The formal opening ceremony was conducted by Jon Fitzmaurice who founded the Self-Help-Housing Organisation.

Malcolm Walker, Chairman of Hartlepool New Deal for Communities Trust, said: "We are proud to have brought such an important building back into use. The new apartments are excellent and we look forward to finding tenants for them. It was an added bonus finding the time capsule and we are delighted that St Bega's school has produced a new capsule for us to bury for the next 150 years."