A 22-year-old British police officer dies in an ‘accidental fall’ hours after arriving in Corfu on holiday
- The 22-year-old victim was found with serious head injuries on a street in Kavos.
A British police officer died after an accidental fall just hours after arriving on the Greek island of Corfu on holiday.
The 22-year-old victim, who has yet to be identified but worked for Surrey police, was found with serious head injuries on a side street in Kavos in the early hours of Friday.
Greek authorities believe the fatal injuries he sustained outside a bar are consistent with an “accidental fall from a low level”, reports the Mirror.
The police officer had arrived on the island just hours before the reported accidental fall, and Greek police have ruled out any criminal involvement in his death.
Leading coroner Ioannis Aivatidis told the newspaper there was no evidence the British police officer had been attacked. Instead, he said the severe head injury he sustained was likely due to a “low-level fall.”
A British police officer died after an accidental fall just hours after arriving on the Greek island of Corfu for holiday (Corfu Old Town file image)
“His head injury was consistent with a low-level accidental fall,” Aivatidis said after rushing to the scene. ‘I examined her for at least two and a half hours. [on the road] and I noticed there was alcohol on his breath.
“She had arrived on the island only hours before, which raises questions.”
Aivatidis said he would conduct an examination of the 22-year-old’s body today, including toxicology tests.
According to Greek media, the victim was allegedly left bleeding in the street, possibly for hours, before being found.
The woman’s friends, who had traveled to Corfu on holiday with the victim, told Corfu police that her phone had gone missing sometime overnight on Friday, suggesting it may have been stolen.
But her mobile was found “nearby,” making the accidental manner of her death “now much more possible,” Aivatidis said. But the autopsy will be final. It will rule out other possible scenarios.”
Meanwhile, Surrey Police said in a statement at the weekend: “Yesterday, sadly, we learned of the sudden death of a staff member on duty while on holiday in Corfu, Greece.
‘We are working to support both his family and colleagues here during this extremely difficult time.
“The Greek authorities are conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the death and we await further updates from them as they carry out their investigations.”
The Surrey Police Federation echoed these sentiments, saying the police officer’s death was “devastating”.
He added: ‘The thoughts of everyone at the Surrey Police Federation are with the officer’s family, friends and close colleagues at this time. Both the Federation and the force support them.
A Foreign Office spokesman told MailOnline: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Greece and are in contact with local authorities.”
