Grisly end for unlucky burglar

US builders have unearthed a skeleton in the chimney of a gift shop in Mississippi, solving a 15-year mystery over the disappearance of a would-be burglar.

The fully clothed remains of Calvin Wilson, aged 27, were found on Friday by masons renovating a building in the historic district of the town of Natchez.

At the time of Mr Wilson's disappearance in 1985, the building, which dates from before the Civil War, housed the River Boat Gift Shop.

Adams County Sheriff Tommy Ferrell said: "His criminal record shows he was a burglar, so the suspicion is that he was crawling down the chimney to burglarise the business at that period of time, became lodged and died."

Mr Ferrell said it was likely that the burglar had fallen headfirst inside the chimney, was injured and unable to call for help.

Police had been able to identify the remains from a wallet found at the scene.

Mr Ferrell speculated that breezes from a nearby river may have kept neighbours from noticing signs that a body was decomposing in the chimney.

"There is no suspicion of foul play," the sheriff added.