Greek police launch search in Rhodes after British tourist disappears

The British tourist, believed to be 48, was last seen at Theologos beach on the Greek island of Rhodes. (Image: Getty)

A British holidaymaker has gone missing on the Greek island of Rhodes, prompting a huge search operation by local police and coastguard.

The man, who is believed to be 48, was visiting the island with relatives according to local media and went missing after swimming at Theologos beach with his niece.

His niece left the beach to return to the hotel but when her uncle failed to return several hours later, she began efforts to look for him and informed local authorities.

The Greek coastguard has launched a search operation involving local police and boats in the area have been alerted.

Several tourists have gone missing whilst on holiday in Greece, most notably Michael Mosley who was found dead following a large search operation after going missing whilst hiking alone in June.

At least four foreign holidaymakers have gone missing in Greece in recent months, according to Tovima.com.

These included two French people who went missing on the secluded island of Sikinos in June as well as a 23-year-old Slovakian in the lakeside city of Ioannina.

Rhodes is a popular holiday destination for holidaymakers, with the Dodecanese island welcoming more than two million tourists a year according to TripAdvisor.