TORN APART BY WOLVES?
British academic’s horrific death while on holiday in Greece
THE British tourist savaged to death in Greece may have been attacked by wolves, an official said last night.
Retired archaeology lecturer Celia Hollingworth made a frantic phone call to her family in the UK on Thursday to say she was badly injured and being mauled.
Greek authorities were alerted when the 62-year-old’s mobile phone signal cut out, and rescue teams found her remains on Saturday.
A senior Greek police officer said: ‘It was a tragic sight. Her body was found shredded to pieces, some of it devoured. Even experienced forensics crews were shocked.’
Her injuries were so severe that investigators identified her using her passport, mobile phone and other personal belongings.
Coroner Nikolaos Kifinidis said he believed Miss Hollingworth was killed by wolves.
‘It seems like she may have been attacked by wild animals, like rabid wolves,’ Mr Kifinidis told The Times. Authorities are rounding up wolves and stray dogs in the area. Miss Hollingworth, who lived alone and was unmarried, was hiking back from an archaeological site in northern Greece, near the Turkish border, when she was attacked.
She had been staying with relatives in the nearby town of Maroneia for about a fortnight and was due to stay in Greece for another month.
Miss Hollingworth lived in a semidetached house in a cul-de-sac near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, where neighbours said she was ‘always doing things for people’.
Andrew Otto, 54, said: ‘Celia was always very friendly.
‘She told us she was going to Greece about five weeks ago. That was the last we heard from her. She didn’t give a lot away about herself but she was always active in the community and would often go round with petitions.’ Alan Clifford, 74, added: ‘She was a quiet person, and always doing things for other people. There is a lot of people who you can say were kind or friendly, but Celia had the works to prove it.’
Locals in the mountainous area said Miss Hollingworth was attacked by wolves or by guard dogs which protect farms.
Wiltshire Police said: ‘We are working closely with officers in Greece regarding the formal identification of the deceased. We are also working with colleagues from the Foreign Office and supporting her next of kin at this difficult time.’
The Foreign Office said: ‘We are in contact with Greek police. We are also providing consular assistance to [Miss Hollingworth’s] family.’
‘It was a tragic sight’