A team of archaeologists arrived on the St Lawrence's Church site this week prior to an operation to carry out exhumations.

A number of trees around the site have been cut down and equipment could be seen at the side of the church where the old vicarage was demolished last month.

Hounslow Council recently gave planning permission for Ballymore to develop the site into:

- A six-storey building (plus ground floor} of 18 flats, landscaping, public open space etc.

- Change of use of church, erection of a new building for health and fitness use, construction of swimming pool facilities etc.

- Use of the church to retail, business, and community and leisure use, and external and internal alterations to the listed building.

A chapel was established on the site in Brentford High Street by the 12th century and the tower of the church dates to about 1480, making it by far the oldest remaining structure in Brentford.

Community group Brentford Voice say they have records of 10,800 burials within the site between 1579 and 1968 and the actual total from the church's inception is likely to be close to 12,000.

It is estimated that the number of exhumations that will be required to build the block of flats will approach 200 individuals

Brentford Voice has called on the developers to treat those buried there with the utmost of respect.

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