A friend of Jay Slater has criticised the Spanish police undertaking the search for the British teenager, claiming they are “not doing enough”.
Since going missing in Tenerife on Monday, there has been no sign of the apprentice bricklayer, with experts stressing the search has entered a “key day” as efforts ramp up to find him.
Recalling their final phone call, Lucy Law described his disappearance as “suspicious and weird” after he set out to walk 11 hours back to their accommodation, rather than wait for a bus.
The 19-year-old was last heard from at 8.15am after he had gone to stay with people he had met at the NRG music festival earlier that day.
Speaking to The Sun, she said her friend “wasn’t stupid” and added: “There’s something weird going on. It is suspicious. In two days you’re telling me someone’s not seen him. There’s a restaurant 10 minutes away that he would have seen or walked past.”
Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and his phone shows his last location as the Rural de Teno park, an area popular with hikers.
Mapped: Jay Slater’s last known movements before disappearance
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 06:00
Recap: British teenager missing in Tenerife after telling friends he was lost and his phone was on 1%
A young British man has been reported missing while on holiday with his friends in Tenerife.
Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, was last heard from at around 8am GMT on Monday.
The Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain.
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 05:00
Community members and friends gather at church for missing teen
Community members and friends of missing teenager Jay Slater gathered at a church in his hometown as the search continued.
Friends, family members, and people from the local community arrived at the West End Methodist Church in Oswaldtwistle, where Mr Slater lived, to show their support for the search and pray for his return.
The friends of the British teen tied blue ribbons to mark a service of hope and left messages.
A friend of Mr Slater who attended the church event told Sky News that he is the “life and soul of the party”. “Everywhere you see him he’s just constantly got a smile on his face. He’s always just a happy chap.”
“He’s just one of a kind really,” they added.
Another friend said they are at a loss for words and can’t seem to understand what and why has this happened to him.
“We feel like we can’t do anything about it because we’re over here and he’s over there. If we could get a flight tomorrow we would do,” the friend said.
Shweta Sharma21 June 2024 04:06
In pictures: Desperate search for missing 19-year-old continues in Tenerife
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 04:00
Teenager’s friend calls for British police to help with search
Jay Slater’s friend has called for British police to be involved in the investigation, after the search continued for a fourth day with little sign of the teenager.
Speaking to the Mirror, Lucy Law said: “We need British police here. I just want to find my mate. He’s been missing three days. It’s not looking good now. We feel as though it’s down to us to find him and that we’re doing more than the police.
“The police here don’t speak English and don’t even have a translator after three days. I feel like they’re fobbing me off. They’re still asking me the same questions as when I first reported Jay missing.”
She added: “The two boys that he was last with have left the country. They need to be questioned by British police.”
Fundraiser launched to help with search for missing Jay Slater hits more than £20,000
A fundraiser launched to help with the search for missing Jay Slater has now reached more than £20,000.
The GoFundMe page was set up on Thursday by one of the friends he travelled to Tenerife with.
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 02:00
Watch: Former head of missing persons unit gives insight into search to find Jay Slater
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 01:00
Mother of British teen missing in Tenerife says searching for son ‘horrendous’
The mother of a British teenager who has gone missing during a holiday in Tenerife said having to search for her son has been “horrendous”.
Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on Monday morning as he told a friend he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot.
Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, flew to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on Tuesday morning to search for him.
Sam Hall has the full story:
Tara Cobham21 June 2024 00:00
In pictures: Jay Slater in social media photos posted by friend days before his disappearance
Tara Cobham20 June 2024 23:00
Jay Slater’s mother breaks down in tears as she makes desperate plea for teen missing in Tenerife
Jay Slater’s mother cries as she makes plea in search for teen missing in Tenerife
Jay Slater’s mother has made a desperate plea for her “baby to come back” in her first television interview following her son’s disappearance in Tenerife. The 19-year-old Briton has not been seen or heard of since Monday (June 17) after he called a friend telling her he was thirsty, lost and had little battery left on his phone. Speaking to ITV News on Wednesday (19 June), Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan described the “absolute nightmare” she is living through. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. I want my baby back,” she said as she broke down in tears. “It’s a nightmare, an absolute living nightmare.”
Tara Cobham20 June 2024 22:00