Oxford professor killed and partially eaten by stray dogs

The victim had been staying at a guest house in the nearby town of Maroneia

Celia Hollingworth made a frantic final call to her 

family as she lay dying

A RETIRED university professor believed to have been killed by a pack of stray dogs in Greece made a final frantic call to her family after being attacked.

Authorities found the body of the woman, 62, with markings indicating she had been savaged by hounds in the northern region of Rodopi on Saturday.

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The victim has been named as retired academic Celia Hollingworth

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She is believed to have been killed by stray dogs. File picture shows stray dogs in the centre of Athens

She was named as former Bristol University lecturer Celia Hollingworth, from Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire.

A search was launched on Thursday after her concerned family in Britain alerted authorities after receiving a frantic call from the holidaymaker who said she had been attacked by stray dogs, reports ERT Television.

The Brit was last seen walking back from a visit to the Mesimvria archaeological site near Petrota Beach.

She had been staying at a guest house in the nearby town of Maroneia.

A senior police officer with knowledge of the investigation told the Times: "It was a tragic sight.

"Her body was found shredded to pieces, some of it devoured."

The officer added: "Even experienced forensics crews were shocked when they faced the harrowing sight."

The name of the woman was not released by police because the investigation is ongoing.

But the officer said: "It’s a formality.

"It’s pretty clear that it is her. Her shoes were found together with parts of her body and personal items, including her passport."

Ms Hollingworth had raised money for Greek charities helping Syrian refugees and was an active human rights campaigner, reports the Telegraph.

A source told the Sunday Mirror: “It’s an absolute tragedy. The victim was a regular visitor to Greece because she loved the people and the culture.

“Everybody involved in the rescue attempt was left deeply shocked by the scene they found when the woman’s body was discovered.”

The woman was last seen by swimmers at 4.30pm and her body was discovered by police and firefighters at 10.45am local time.

A local said that she may have been attacked by a guard dog at a local farm.

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."

There is estimated to be more than a million stray dogs in Greece after countless canines were abandoned by their cash-strapped owners in the wake of the financial crisis.