A total of 44 flint axes were found

Archaeologists believe they may have stumbled upon a major Stone Age site in the UK - on the route of a new bypass.

The site dates back between 250,000 and 300,000 years and may even provide evidence of one of the earliest uses of fire.

Archaeologists discovered a range of items at the location in Harnham, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, including 44 "very rare" flint hand axes - the earliest form of tool used by man.

Yet the dig was only organised after the county council unveiled plans to build a relief road for the village.

One of the most exciting discoveries on the site has been evidence of charcoal, which could point to an early use of fire.

Roy Canham, county archaeologist, told BBC News Online: "It is always a bit tentative.

BBC