A museum in south-western England has formally handed over four Australian Indigenous skulls for repatriation.

Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum is one of the first museums in Britain to agree to return Aboriginal remains.

The skulls were donated to the museum more than 130 years ago by explorers in South Australia.

Rodney Dillon, who accepted the skulls on behalf of the Indigenous population, estimates another 1,200 remains are held in public and private collections throughout Britain.

He is hoping a recent change to British legislation will prompt more museums to return Aboriginal bones and warns those which do not agree to repatriate Australian remains could face legal action.