Glastonbury Abbey's High Altar area vandalised

The hole was found at Glastonbury Abbey on Thursday morning

A large hole has been dug in the grounds of a seventh-century abbey.

Staff at Glastonbury Abbey discovered the damage in the High Altar area of the grounds on Thursday morning.

They have reported the incident to Avon and Somerset Police which is treating it as criminal damage.

The scheduled monument once rumoured to have been founded by Joseph of Arimathea, the man who buried the body of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, is managed by an independent charity.

Glastonbury Abbey is warning people they face prosecution if they climb the ruins, remove stones or dig on the grounds due to its protected status.

The former monastery has a place in English folklore as the burial place of King Arthur.

The abbey welcomes about 100,000 visitors a year.

The hole has now been filled in but the area remains closed off to the public, and abbey staff have asked visitors to report any "unacceptable behaviour".

A police spokesman said the incident is believed to have occurred between the evening of 7 July and 07:45 BST on 8 July.