Humans may have caught leprosy from squirrels in medieval times, researchers say.

They studied human and red squirrel bones from archaeological sites in Winchester, southern England, and found they had closely related strains of the bacteria that causes it.

Leprosy is a chronic disease infectious between humans that attacks the skin, nerves and mucous membranes. No-one is thought to have caught it inside the UK for 70 years but it's still endemic in many parts of the world.

Armadillos carry it and are suspected of passing it on to humans. Some modern red squirrels in the UK also have it, but there has never been a reported case of transmission to humans and experts say the risk is very low.