Over 85 percent of bondholders holding debt under Greek law have signed up to a bond swap to ease Greece's debt burden, a Greek government official close to the process said on Thursday.

The deadline to take part expired at 2000 GMT.

About 177 billion euros of the 206 billion euros of debt eligible for the swap are regulated under Greek law.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos, Writing by Deepa Babington)