A DOCUMENTARY promising to unearth the secrets of William Shakespeare's grave has been labelled a "whitewash" by the man who broke the story claiming the legendary playwright's skull is actually buried in Redditch.

Ahead of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, Channel 4 recently broadcast the results of the first ever archaeological investigation of his grave in Stratford.

The hi-tech investigation - a world first - concluded the Bard's skull was probably taken by trophy hunters more than 200 years ago.

But where did it go?

Historian Simon Stirling, author of Who Killed William Shakespeare, says that a mysterious skull in the Sheldon Chapel at St Leonard’s Church in Beoley belongs to Shakespeare.

Something which was explored in the programme but later debunked as nothing more than myth.

However Mr Stirling, who has spent years studying high-quality images of the skull, consulting experts and comparing its details with various Shakespeare portraits and busts, is adamant the skull belongs to Shakespeare.

"My honest belief is that the skull is probably Shakespeare’s - I’m about 98 per cent sure about it," he said.

"I can’t say with 100 per cent certainty that the skull is Shakespeare’s, although its peculiar details have allowed for some portraits that were thought to be of Shakespeare to be identified as genuine."

The documentary team were granted access to the crypt to laser scan the skull and carry out a forensic anthropological analysis.

The results suggested that the skull belonged to an unknown woman who was in her 70s when she died.

Mr Stirling, a lecturer at Worcester University, disagrees.

"Firstly, all the evidence they’d been given was ignored," he said

"They sought one opinion about the skull. Experts I know have questioned how they could possibly have determined that the skull was that of a 70-year-old woman.

"It was nothing less than a whitewash, as far as I’m concerned."

Talking about the Channel 4 documentary he said: "I found it shallow and inaccurate. All the excitement in the press had promised a remarkable and astonishing investigation, when in the event there wasn’t much investigation at all."

The Advertiser reported earlier this year that clergymen at St Leonard's had previously applied to the Consistory Court to use DNA testing to discover the identity of the skull - but had the application thrown out.

Speaking after the documentary was shown the Rev Richard Clark, team rector of Holy Trinity Redditch, overseeing the parish of Beoley, said: "It would have been really, really nice, to have a link with Shakespeare and it is unfortunate that we don't - but we still have an intriguing mystery about who the Beoley skull belongs to."

Historians and archaeologists have long argued over Shakespeare's final resting place, which is far too short for an adult burial, and which carries no name, only a chilling curse:

“Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.”

What do you think. Could the skull of the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist be buried in Redditch?