New CCTV gives teen's family fresh hope as search reaches grim milestone - live (2024)

Jay Slater's family slam cruel fake death posts on social media as search for missing teen continues

As the hunt for missing teen Jay Slater enters its second week, his loved ones are grappling with heartless online trollsamidst their already distressing search for the well-liked apprentice.

With Jay's prolonged absence, his distraught family and friends have been holding out hope for good news - but this hasn't deterred malicious trolls from speculating about his fate online or even posting fake updates to further distress and compound the pain of his anxious family.

One such bogus post circulating on TikTok, posing as the admin of the official Facebook group set up to find Jay, 'Rachel Lousie Harg', falsely claimed that Jay's body had been discovered and blamed 'Moroccans' for the crime - a claim the real Rachel was compelled to refute on social media, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Inside isolated Tenerife village where Jay Slater vanished after 'rave' on holiday island

If Jay had walked downhill, he would've reached the heart of Masca village in just fifteen minutes. Jay is reported to have left the cottage on foot around 8am. Despite its remoteness, the area is a hit with tourists; those with car rentals dare to drive up to the site, as regular tour buses also shuttle visitors there and back several times a day.

The small car parks are chock-a-block as early as 10am - with tourists snapping selfies against the dramatic backdrop, scrambling for parking spaces, and pausing for lunch at one of the few local cafes.

He reportedly trudged uphill on a road flanked by concrete barriers designed to prevent vehicles from careening over the edge. Amidst ongoing search efforts, reporters have noted a steady stream of traffic and pedestrians in the area, both during morning hours and early evening.

Nearby, construction workers are busy at a site adjacent to the holiday rental, with temporary traffic lights currently operational. The bustling nature of the area has led Jay's family to question how he could have vanished on the morning of June 17 without being spotted.

His devastated father Warren expressed his confusion, saying: "No matter if you were drunk or whatever, you don't go off that road up there. And there are people up there... you don't go along that road for more than 20 minutes without somebody stopping you or passing you.

"I knew right from when I went up there that he wouldn't have gone [off that road]. He isn't stupid. When I saw the police I asked them, seriously, 'would you go off that road?' and I think it woke them up a bit. People that go out to a party don't come up here."

Meanwhile, his heartbroken mother Debbie told the Daily Mail: "If he is lost then why hasn't anyone seen him? It's busy with hikers and holidaymakers up there so if he was lost then someone would have seen him."

Bar where Jay Slater partied before disappearance 'devastated' as search continues

As the search for Jay enters its second week, with efforts from the Civil Guard, Civil Defence, mountain rescue teams and fire crews, a wave of worry has swept across both tourists and locals on the Spanish island.

Monica, a worker at Paniclub in Playa de la Americas resort near the vibrant nightlife strip, has voiced her distraught sentiments about Jay's disappearance. In conversation with The Manchester Evening News, she said: "Everybody here is living nice and happy, so it's very sad news. It's horrible, horrible. Yesterday I was off and we were speaking the whole day about him. It's all we are talking about, the local people. It's everywhere in the media, it's so sad."

Notably, Monica mentioned that tourists seeking enjoyment often indulge in drinks to an extreme limit and the area suffers from drug-related issues, specifically cannabis and cocaine. During their visit, reporters were offered these drugs multiple times by individuals standing on street corners carrying business cards.

Strangers join the search in Tenerife after hearing about Jay Slater case

Strangers from across the UK have headed out to Tenerife to help with the search for Jay Slater.

One of them, 29-year-old Paul Arnott, told Sky News: "I was following the story and I wasn't planning to come out, but as soon as I heard they needed help, that's when I came out.

"It's a search and rescue, but the more people are involved the better it's going to be."

Firefighter's chilling two words as search for Jay Slater continues

It has now been a week since British teenager Jay Slater went missing on holiday in Tenerife.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from in the morning of June 17 as he called his friend Lucy Law to warn her that his phone was running out of battery and that he was attempting the gruelling 11-hour trek back to their accommodation.

The apprentice bricklayer had been partying with friends at the NRG festival last Sunday evening when he decided to extend his night out. He went back to an Airbnb in a rural area north of the island with two British men he'd met at the festival.

Jay left the accommodation but reportedly missed the bus and has since been nowhere to be seen. His disappearance has sparked a major search operation, with police and mountain rescue teams scouring his last registered location.

Firefighter's chilling two words as search for Jay Slater continues

What it's really like in the village where teenager disappeared

Nestled in the mountainous landscape of north west Tenerife, sits the quaint village of Masca. The tiny village, home to only around 90 inhabitants, boasts an amazing vantage point for views of the surrounding peaks and the North Atlantic Ocean.

It is off the beaten track and quite the challenge to reach - along just one windy and steep road that runs adjacent with the immediate edges of towering cliffs.

Despite its beauty and charm, the area has been described by search teams, looking for missing British teenager Jay Slater, as "dangerous".

It is thought that Jay, who is from Lancashire and was on his first trip abroad without his parents, had travelled over 30km from the south of the island on the evening of June 16, after attending the NRG music rave.

It has been reported that Jay had gone back to stay at an Airbnb rental with two unknown men that he had met at the event. He is said to have left the holiday rental the following morning, last Monday (June 17), before walking off alone into the mountains.

Missing teen case should be treated as murder says top Met detective

A retired top detective has said he would have treated missing teen Jay Slater's case as a murder inquiry so vital evidence wasn't lost in the crucial first 24 hours.

Steve Gaskin was a detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police for more than 25 years and is a criminal psychologist, he has told the Mirror things are "not looking good" for the 19-year-old who vanished in Tenerife last Monday.

He says that if he was the SIO - senior investigating officer - when Jay's missing person's report came in to the police, he would immediately have to decide to either treat it as a missing person's inquiry or a murder case. He added that if he wasn't sure he'd always opt to treat it as a murder.

Steve told the Mirror: "If we treat this like a murder from the outset, then if it turns out not to be then nothing's lost, we only have a few hours - people call it the golden hour, but really it's the golden 24 hours - to gather forensic evidence before it's too late."

Read more: Missing teen case should be treated as murder says top Met detective

GoFundMe speaks out after fundraiser exceeds target

A GoFundMe spokesperson said today: "We are in touch with Jay Slater's mother, Debbie, and working with her to keep everyone updated on how their donations will be used in the search.

"For now, the money is with GoFundMe as we work through the next steps."

Meanwhile, a friend said Jay had told her in a frantic phone call last Monday at 8.30am that he was "lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%".

Top Met detective lists the six things Spanish police must do now

Steve Gaskin, who was a detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police for more than 25 years and is a criminal psychologist, says these things must be done immediately in the hunt for Jay;

Immediately investigate as murder

By treating Jay's disappearance as murder, immediate resources can be ploughed into the investigation so vital clues are not lost.

Source CCTV and gather forensic evidence from where Jay was last seen.

Find out everything about Jay, who he was, why he was in Tenerife, what he did in the UK, did he have a criminal record here in Spain or in the UK

Who were the last people to see or speak to him

What do they know, who are they, do they have a reason to say what they are saying, can their version of events be verified with CCTV, phone records or forensic

Fly a family member from the UK to Tenerife to help us know more about Jay

Recruit other resources

A team of detectives dedicated to the case who report in on the hour, every hour with what they have learnt

Air reconnaissance, drones and a search team on foot

Forensic search in Tenerife and UK

As well as doing a forensic search of where Jay was staying, we'd also need to do the same in the UK, to look at his home and his place of work to see if there were any clues to why he went missing.

Things 'not looking good' for Jay Slater's family, says former inspector

Steve Gaskin, who was a detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police for more than 25 years and is a criminal psychologist, has told the Mirror things are "not looking good" for the Jay Slater, who vanished in Tenerife last Monday.

Steve told the Mirror: "If we treat this like a murder from the outset, then if it turns out not to be then nothing's lost, we only have a few hours - people call it the golden hour, but really it's the golden 24 hours - to gather forensic evidence before it's too late.

"I'd want to know what he'd had from breakfast. Why has a 19-year-old bricklayer gone missing, what was he doing there, I would want to know everything about him, who was the last person to see him, check all their backgrounds too, I'd be speaking to police in the UK, has he got a criminal record, here or in Spain, what do we know about him."

"Where is the CCTV, have any of these people got criminal records, the whole idea of this is to get a clear factual picture. And I'd want it as quickly as possible. The longer this goes on the more you're likely to suspect a criminal element. It's not looking good after this amount of time."

Missing teen case should be treated as murder says top Met detective

A retired top detective has said he would have treated missing teen Jay Slater's case as a murder inquiry so vital evidence wasn't lost in the crucial first 24 hours.

Steve Gaskin was a detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police for more than 25 years and is a criminal psychologist, he has told the Mirror things are "not looking good" for the 19-year-old who vanished in Tenerife last Monday.

He says that if he was the SIO - senior investigating officer - when Jay's missing person's report came in to the police, he would immediately have to decide to either treat it as a missing person's inquiry or a murder case. He added that if he wasn't sure he'd always opt to treat it as a murder.

Steve told the Mirror: "If we treat this like a murder from the outset, then if it turns out not to be then nothing's lost, we only have a few hours - people call it the golden hour, but really it's the golden 24 hours - to gather forensic evidence before it's too late."

Missing teen case should be treated as murder says top Met detective

GoFundMe rules, refunds and what happens to money raised as Jay Slater's hits £33k

Jay Slater's family has raised more than £33,000 on GoFundMe as the search for the missing 19-year-old continues.

A fundraiser set up by Jay's friend Lucy Law - who was on holiday with him in Tenerife and the last person to speak to him before he went missing on Monday, June 17 - has exceeded its target of £30,000. Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished in the Rural de Teno area after leaving a three-day music festival with two men to stay the night at their Airbnb.

Jay's parents, Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater, and older brother Zak, have since flown out to help with the search, alongside many of his friends. Days after the fundraising page was set up, Debbie was added as a beneficiary and issued a public update, explaining that no money had yet been withdrawn, as they had funded the trip themselves.

She stated: "Hi everyone, this is Debbie, Jay's mother. Thank you all for your generosity and kindness during this difficult time. I wanted to confirm that this is the only GoFundMe fundraiser approved by our family. We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves."

GoFundMe rules, refunds and what happens to money raised as Jay Slater's hits £33k

Jay Slater's mum 'not slept' since the 19-year-old disappeared

Jay Slater's mum said she had "not slept" since her 19-year-old son disappeared.

Debbie Duncan, 55, said: "I’m not coping very well at all. I’ve not slept, I’m exhausted. It’s been awful. I can’t give up on him, I just can’t." She also said she did not know whether the Spanish authorities turning down an offer of help from the UK was because they viewed it as “an insult”.

Questioned on whether the Spanish authorities should have accepted help from Lancashire Constabulary, Ms Duncan said: “I believe they said they’ve got enough resources and they don’t need the help from English police. I don’t know if they find it an insult – I really don’t know. I really don’t know. They say they’ve got enough resources to get on with the investigation… I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Jay Slater sighting outside church is unconfirmed

There has not yet been any police response, official or otherwise, to reports of a possible sighting of Jay outside a church in Santiago de Teide around 6pm last Monday.

Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan said a witness had gone to police and claimed to have seen him sitting on a bench with a pair of men, just over three miles away from the village of Masca where the missing teenager had spent time in an Airbnb.

Firefighter's chilling two words as search enters grim milestone

It has now been more than a week since British teenager Jay Slater went missing on holiday in Tenerife and a fireman says his disappearance is "increasingly strange".

Riccardo, a member of the Brigada Forestal, spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the challenges of the 'dangerous' area and the ongoing efforts to locate Jay.

"It's very difficult to find people here, because of the ravines and the mountains," he said. "I've seen the case and about the missing boy on the internet... but the days are now passing by and it's increasingly strange that he hasn't appeared yet. The information we have is that Jay [and his friends] were going to a music festival, and afterwards, the last sign of him was around here in the Teno Rural Park. I don't know if he was walking, hiking.. I just don't know.

"That's where I lose the thread." Looking out over the mountainous landscape, he sighed and added: "It's so strange." On Friday, Civil Defence search teams said their efforts were being focused in the vicinity of the Parque Rural de Teno nature reserve, the area where Jay was reported missing. They include a ravine around 100 metres below the rental property where Jay was last spotted, as well as in the mountains between Masca and Las Portelas.

Tenerife tour guide says Jay Slater's disappearance is 'strange' for one reason

A tour guide from Tenerife has said what is so "strange" about the disappearance of Jay Slater as the search enters a second week.

Angel, based in Santa Cruz, who drives up to the Masca ravine most days with tourists, told the Manchester Evening News: “I know they [police] are looking for him in the mountains but we don’t know anything else. It’s not in the Spanish media but it is here in the Canaries.

“In the south of Tenerife, it is huge, there are tourists from everywhere. Sometimes people disappear for one day, two days, there’s drinking and drugs, if they’re partying for example, but up here, nothing like this has happened before.

“For many days, lost in the middle of the mountains.. no, never, never. People are asking what was he doing in the mountains at 8 o'clock in the morning? It’s so strange, after the disco you wouldn’t finish a party in the mountains. It’s very dangerous. Masca is very famous, people go hiking every day and police have to rescue people, but nobody has disappeared up here in the north.”

Jay's dad speaks on family's 'living hell'

Jay Slater's dad says his family have been going through "living hell" as the missing Brit is yet to be found after a week-long search in Tenerife.

Warren says he has been frantically looking for his son whilst putting up posters in Santiago, in the hopes for a lead in the case. Focus has shifted to the area of Santiago as it is believed Jay may have been captured on CCTV.

In his latest plea to the public, the dad said: “I just want him to be found, simples. I just want my son back, end of. What more is there, it’s been a week now, a week of nothing, so somebody somewhere must’ve found out something. Somebody. It is a living hell, unless you’re going through it, you cannot explain."

Was there a third party involved in the disappearance of Jay Slater?

While police have are yet to confirm any third-party involvement in Jay's disappearance, the 19-year-old had met two men, who have been described as British, during the NRG music festival. He then decided to stay with them at their Airbnb in a remote part of Tenerife, while his friends went back to their usual accommodation. The two men have reportedly flown back to the UK after being briefly questioned by Tenerife police.

Jay's friend, Lucy Mae, managed to track the men down at their Airbnb before they left, using photo clues from Jay's Snapchat, which revealed his location. She said: “They seemed startled and surprised that I had found them, and I asked them where Jay was.

“They said he had gone out to try and look for cigarettes and then come back and said he was leaving to try and get a bus back into town. They just seemed shocked that I had managed to find them and I know the police have spoken to them but I’ve since found out they have left the country. They need to be spoken to properly."

Police yet to confirm sighting of Jay outside church

There has not yet been any police response, official or otherwise, to reports of a possible sighting of Jay outside a church in Santiago de Teide around 6pm last Monday.

Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan said a witness had gone to police and claimed to have seen him sitting on a bench with a pair of men, just over three miles away from the village of Masca where the missing teenager had spent time in an Airbnb.

New festival photo of Jay released

A new picture has emerged of Jay taken just hours before he vanished on Monday. The image shows the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer at a rave on Sunday evening, which he left with two new friends before disappearing the next day. He was last seen wearing a grey sports top with a light green strip on the shoulders and carrying a black bag.

Spanish police are 'not going to reply to criticism'

A well-placed source says Spanish police won't be responding to criticism as they are staying focused on finding Jay.

The source said: “The Civil Guard is not going to reply to criticism or praise it receives here. Officers are just doing their job, they’re focused on the search and they’re going to continue with the work they’re doing without anyone taking time out to respond to the evaluations other people are making.

“The force is aware of some of the comments that are already out there but are prioritising what needs to be done which is to search for Jay. Just imagine how much chatter there'd be if we did publicly respond."

What we don't know about Jay's disappearance

As the search for Jay Slater enters its second week, Tenerife police have said they are doing everything they can to locate him with the help of emergency rescue teams. Jay's last definitive location has been traced to Rural del Teno, a mountainous area in the west of the island.

His friend Lucy said Jay "ended up in the middle of nowhere" after befriending two Brits and returning to their Airbnb. She told how Jay went "to a friend's house, someone that he has met on holiday. One of the people he has met has hired a car out of here, so he's driven them back to his apartment and Jay has gone there not realising how far away it is.

She added: "He's ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there."

Read more here Day-by-day account of what we know and don't know

Day-by-day account of what we know and don't know

A full week since Jay vanished, his family shared a new CCTV image showing a possible sighting of him in Tenerife. The grainy image is understood to have been captured in Santiago del Teide at about 6pm on Monday night, ten hours after he was last confirmed to have been seen in the village of Masca.

As the desperate search continues into its eighth day, the Mirror recaps the full timeline of Jay's disappearance, highlighting what we already know, as well as the countless questions that have surfaced since the teenagers last known contact on June 17.

Read more here Day-by-day account of what we know and don't know

Police issue major update amid change in search plan

Police have issued a major update in the search for missing teen Jay Slater after changing their search plan.

Investigators say they are “totally focused” on the search for Jay Slater and will not be sidetracked by criticism from his friends. Civil Guard officers insisted this morning they would not let the attacks stop them from their “priority” of continuing to work on finding the missing 19-year-old.

Where did Jay's phone last ping?

Jay's last definitive location has been traced to Rural del Teno, a mountainous area in the west of the island, where his phone last pinged.

Search and rescue teams are currently focusing on this area in hopes to find the missing teen.

Answers on where £30k for Jay Slater GoFundMe is going

Jay's mum Debbie has released a statement confirming where the £30k in donations for Jay Slater's GoFundMe is going. The fundraiser was set up by Jay's close pal Lucy Mae Law who was on holiday with him when he vanished.

She said: "Hi everyone, this is Debbie, Jay's mother. Thank you all for your generosity and kindness during this difficult time. I wanted to confirm that this is the only GoFundMe fundraiser approved by our family. We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves.

"The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page. We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay. Please continue to share our fundraiser far and wide. Your support means the world to us, and we are grateful for any help you can provide. Thank you again."

GoFundMe for Jay Slater surpasses £32k in donations

An official GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Jay's friend Lucy Mae has surpassed £32,000 in donations.

The campaign, titled "Get Jay Slater home" has seen £32,668 raised, despite the target being set at £30,000.

New CCTV image appears to show Jay hours after last sighting

Jay's family have shared a CCTV image showing a possible sighting of him in Tenerife.

The grainy image is understood to have been captured in Santiago del Teide at about 6pm on Monday night - ten hours after he was last confirmed to have been seen in the village of Masca, nearly four miles uphill.

It comes after the 19-year-old's mum Debbie Duncan, 55, previously claimed a witness has told police they believe they saw Jay in the village of Santiago with two men on Monday night.

We'll stay in Tenerife 'until we’ve got an outcome'

A family friend of Jay's, Rachel Hargreaves, says Jay's loved-ones will be staying in Tenerife "until we’ve got an outcome".

She added: “We’ve got to live in hope, haven’t we? You can’t give up on anything, can you really? We’re here and we’re staying until we’ve got an outcome.”

Addressing support from well-wishers, she said: “We’re happy for anyone who wants to help or anyone with information or anything like that – like I say, we’re still living in hope that we’re going to get a positive outcome.

“We just feel like we’ll leave it to the professionals now and that’s the best thing to do.”

Search for Jay Slater enters its second week

The desperate search for missing Brit Jay Slater has entered its second week in Tenerife after the 19-year-old vanished on Monday June 17.

Search teams have now narrowed their efforts onto small buildings near to where his phone last pinged before he disappeared.