Human bones have been uncovered by workers building homes on a former hospital site.
The remains were found in North Ayrshire on Tuesday morning, Strathclyde Police said.
Ground was being dug up by builders constructing houses by Dundas Estates at the Fairways View development in Sandy Road, Irvine.
It is not yet known how many human bones have been found, while a police inquiry has been launched into the discovery.
Work at the site has been suspended while officers investigate the origin of the skeletal remains.
A force spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "At around 9am yesterday, police received a report that human bones had been uncovered during excavation work at a construction site in Sandy Road, Irvine.
"Officers cordoned off the site and work continues today to excavate the site and remove any further human remains. This process could take a few days and will be carried out by specialist staff."
The construction firm is building 75 homes on the site of the former Ravenspark Hospital for elderly and psychiatric patients.
It was closed in 1996 having started as a poorhouse in 1857. Original plans to renovate the site were granted in 2004, but building work stalled before Dundas Estates began its project this year.
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