AN ORNATE box containing what are believed to be a pet’s ashes has been found in undergrowth near the entrance to the stately home Castle Howard.

Malton Police say the wooden box has a plaque on the top bearing the name Max Jaffa.

This was the name of a famous band leader who died in 1991, but police think it relates to a pet called Max Jaffa.

PC Paul Fenwick said: “How the box got to be at the roadside is a mystery. It’s possible it has been discarded following a burglary.”