Woman 'killed by stray dogs' in Greece was ex-Oxford professor and anti-far right activist

A retired Oxford University professor believed to have been mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs while on holiday in Greece has been named.

Celia Hollingworth, from Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, had been missing since Thursday (21 September) after disappearing while trekking back from an archaeological site she had visited in the north of the country.

The 62-year-old, who was staying in the nearby town of Maroneia, was last seen by swimmers at Petrota beach on Thursday afternoon.

She later made a panicked final phone call to her family to say she was being attacked by stray dogs, local media reported.

Relatives then contacted the local authorities, who organised a search.

She was found dead late on Saturday having sustained injuries indicating she had been savaged by animals.

Her body was taken via ambulance to the General Hospital of Komotini, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

Hollingworth, who worked at Bristol University, lived on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon and was active in local campaigns.

She was pictured in the local newspaper, The Wiltshire Times, just weeks before her death handing in a petition to Wiltshire Council as part of a campaign against plans for a 15-metre high mobile phone mast.

She had raised money for Greek charities helping Syrian refugees in the country and had supported a campaign to help a Greek trade union official facing prosecution in his home country.

Hollingworth was also an official with the University and College Union, which represents academics, and was an active human rights campaigner.

She had campaigned against right-wing groups like the English Defence League (EDL).

Andrew Otto, 53, who teaches science at Wiltshire College in Trowbridge, and lives opposite Hollingworth's home, told The Times: "She was a very good neighbour. We have recently moved and have a lot of stuff that needs to go into storage and she offered to look after it for us, though we haven't had a chance to take her up on it yet."

Her family in London is believed to be travelling to Greece following her death.

"It was a tragic sight," a senior police officer with knowledge of the investigation told The Times. "Her body was found shredded to pieces, some of it devoured. Even experienced forensics crews were shocked when they faced the harrowing sight."

There are reported to be more than one million stray dogs in Greece after many were abandoned following the country's financial crisis.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are in contact with Greek Police in relation to a British woman missing in northern Greece since Thursday.

"We are also providing consular assistance to her family."