BEIRUT — The Lebanese man detained on suspicion of murdering a British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes in Lebanon is a driver for Uber and has previous criminal violations, a senior Lebanese security source said on Monday.

An Uber spokesman said in an email: “We are horrified by this senseless act of violence. Our hearts are with the victim and her family. We are working with authorities to assist their investigation in any way they can.”

The young British woman was found dead on Saturday evening, her body dumped on the side of an expressway north of Beirut and a piece of string tied around her neck, the same official had said on Sunday.

Britain's Foreign Office had confirmed the death of the embassy staffer, who worked for the Department for International Development. British media and friends identified her as Rebecca Dykes.

Earlier, a forensics official said she was strangled with a rope and that authorities were investigating whether she was also sexually assaulted.

Dykes worked at the Department for International Development (DFID) in Beirut.

Her family, the UK ambassador and DFID issued statements on Sunday expressing their shock but providing no further information.

Such crime is rare in the Lebanese capital, a city which is considered generally safe, including for tourists and foreign residents.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened," the family said in a statement passed on by the Foreign Office.

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) which issued a statement following confirmation of her death.

"Our thoughts are with Becky's family and friends at this very upsetting time," DFID said, adding that the Foreign Office was working with authorities in Lebanon as the police probe gets underway.

The Lebanese official said her body was found "on the side of the Emile Lahoud road" just north of Beirut on Saturday evening.

A security source told AFP that the British woman's body had been dumped on the roadside and that strangulation was suspected as a possible cause of death because "she was found with a piece of string around her neck".

The murder has stunned Britain, where Dykes' photograph appeared across newspaper front pages.

She is believed to have been out for a colleague's leaving party in Beirut's Gemmayzeh district on Friday night and left around midnight, UK media reported citing Lebanese sources.

An initial forensics examination indicated she died at around 4:00am (0200 GMT), the Guardian newspaper said.

British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter said in a statement: "The whole embassy is deeply shocked and saddened by this news. Our thoughts are with Becky's family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss.

"We are providing consular support to Becky's family and working very closely with the Lebanese local authorities who are conducting the police investigation," he said. — Agencies