Hilary Mantel calls for skeleton of Irish 'giant' to be repatriated

Bones of 18th-century Charles Byrne are stored at the Royal College of Surgeons in London

The author Hilary Mantel has called for the Royal College of Surgeons to repatriate the skeleton of an Irish giant" whose bones remain in storage in London two centuries after he asked to be buried at sea.

Charles Byrne had a genetic form of gigantism that caused him to grow to more than 2.31 metres (7ft 7in) tall. His height made him a celebrity in 18th-century London, and while he was still alive he went to great lengths to try to ensure his skeleton was not put on display after his death - a fate then usually reserved for executed criminals.