THE body of a British embassy worker based in Beirut has been found beside a motorway.

Rebecca Dykes was strangled, according to Lebanese authorities.

Lebanese police are trying to establish whether Ms Dykes, believed to be 30, had been sexually assaulted before she was found dead by the side of a road in the east of the capital.

Her family said they have been left “devastated”

following her death on Saturday.

Ms Dykes, who was also known by the name Becky, had been working as a programme and policy manager with the Department for International Development (DfID) in Lebanon since January 2017, according to her LinkedIn business profile.

The DfID, which leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, has its headquarters in East Kilbride.

According to LinkedIn, Ms Dykes had also worked as a policy manager with the Libya team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and had previously been employed as an Iraq research analyst with the FCO.

The University of Manchester graduate had a masters in International Security and Global Governance from Birkbeck, University of London.

She had also attended the prestigious Rugby School, one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.

A DfID spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Becky’s family and friends at this very upsetting time.

“There is now a police investigation and the FCO is providing consular support to Becky’s family and working with the local authorities.”

The Foreign Office said it was in contact with the Lebanese authorities.

“Following the death of a British woman in Beirut, we are providing support to the family,” a spokesman added. “We remain in close contact with local authorities.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”

Hugo Shorter, British Ambassador to Lebanon, said: “The whole embassy is deeply shocked, saddened by this news.

“My thoughts are with Becky’s family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss.

“We’re providing consular support to her family and working very closely with Lebanese authorities.”

A family spokesman said: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened.”

It is understood that Ms Dykes’ body was transferred to the Dahr al-Bashak Hospital for a post-mortem examination to take place.

Local police said a second post-mortem examination would be carried out later.

According to reports, Ms Dykes is believed to have been kidnapped and murdered after walking home from a night out.

The Sunday Times reported that friends said she attended a leaving party for a colleague on Friday evening in a bar in a district of the city which is known for its restaurants and nightlife and is regarded as safe by most locals and expatriates, including for young women on their own.

It is said that Ms Dykes left early to go home as she was due to catch a flight the next morning to return to Britain, where she planned to spend Christmas with her family.

Josie Ensor, the Telegraph’s Middle East Correspondent, based in Beirut, tweeted that it was a “very rare and shocking thing to happen in this city”.

She added: “Beirut has always felt like a very safe place, much safer than London or other big cities I’ve lived in.

“It is sad to say, but it is important for women not to be complacent, wherever they are or however safe it might feel.”