A British woman who went missing from a beach in northern Greece has disappeared before, according to local reports.

Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, vanished while her husband was sleeping on a sunbed on Ofrynio beach near Kavala last Friday.

She had been swimming at about 12pm and was last seen wearing a two-piece swimsuit featuring rhinestones, yellow beach shoes and sunglasses with red bone frames, according to the British embassy in Greece.

Some witnesses have claimed they saw a woman matching her description swimming in deep water, while another claimed to have seen her walking away from the scene.

But local reports are now saying it is not the first time she has gone missing.