Diana Theodore, 72, is believed to have been murdered after police responded to an initial report of a burglary at her home

A British pensioner has been found dead, tied up and under her bed in her home in St Lucia in what police believe to have been a murder.

The body of Diana Theodore, 72, was found on Saturday morning in a pool of blood alongside the body of her pet dog. Police in Choiseul, St Lucia, have opened a murder investigation after she was found with an injury to her head.

Theodore, a mother of one, left the UK for the island more than 30 years ago and has been described as a ‘community activist’. In a statement, the Saint Lucia National Trust said: “Today we heard the very sad news of the untimely loss of our long-term member and former councillor and friend of many of our members.”

The trust called Theodore a “passionate and vocal advocate for Saint Lucia’s natural and cultural heritage”, adding that she was “a long-term member of the trust who also served on council and regularly contributed her ideas, concerns and advice in areas of conservation and community interest”.