A British woman is facing a murder charge after allegedly strangling her newborn baby boy in a hotel room in Crete.

Greek Police said the baby was found in the Malia hotel room wrapped in sheets. A coroner confirmed the child died of asphyxiation.

A police spokesman said the 20-year-old woman was out for the night with her sister and a friend. She then returned to the room alone, where she gave birth to a baby boy.

The spokesman said her companions returned to the room at about 5am.

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

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

"The coroner confirmed that the baby died of asphyxiation."

It is believed the woman was rushed to the hospital, bleeding heavily.

The police spokesman said the woman was under guard in the hospital and would later go before the prosecutor in Heraklion to face the murder charge.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm a British national has been detained and will be charged with the murder of her baby in Malia, Crete. We are providing consular assistance."

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