Mother charged with Crete murder

A 20-year-old British woman has been charged with the murder of her baby in Crete, the Foreign Office has said.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of strangling her baby after giving birth in a hotel room in the resort of Malia.

Police said the baby was found with sheets around its neck and covering its face. A coroner's report concluded the child died of asphyxiation.

The woman is under guard in hospital on the Greek island, suffering from heavy bleeding following the birth.

Holiday trip

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm a British national was charged with the murder of her baby in Malia, Crete, today. We are providing consular assistance."

The Foreign Office said the ongoing police investigation meant it could make no further comment.

Greek police said the woman had travelled to Crete on holiday with her sister and a female friend from the UK.

Her companions found her at about 0500 on Monday after the woman had returned to the room alone and given birth to the baby.

A Greek police spokesman said: "They saw a sheet with something inside it but they did not open it. They called the police.

"The police came with the ambulance. They opened the sheet and they found the baby."