Archaeologists have made an unusual discovery at Pompeii – the remains of a carbonised horse which died when the ancient Roman city was engulfed by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius 2,000 years ago.

The horse was found in the remains of a large Roman villa, which tomb raiders had been excavating illegally in search of artefacts and valuables.

The tomb robbers are now being investigated by police and prosecutors.

Massimo Osanna, the director of Pompeii, described the horse as an “extraordinary” discovery.

None of its flesh and bones remain but by pumping plaster into the space where it was the found, they produced an accurate cast of the animal.