Jay Slater missing – latest: Family urged to use GoFundMe to carry on search as TikToker uncovers ‘new clue’

Spanish police haved called off the search for Jay Slater almost two weeks after he vanished on Tenerife

Jay Slater’s father makes six-word plea to son at visit to site of search

Jay Slater’s family have been urged to use fundraising donations to hire “experts” to continue the search for the missing teenager.

Spanish police said the hunt for the 19-year-old from Lancashire had ended, with the case remaining open on Sunday as the gruelling search entered another week.

But his family have vowed to carry on looking for him regardless.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew out to conduct his own investigation and has urged the family to use some of the £46,000 raised to help continue the search.

He wrote on X: “In light of the police search ending. I have suggested the family should use the GoFundMe money to continue the search using experts in searching.”

It comes as an amateur sleuth claimed to be following an unofficial “new clue”.

TikTok climber Paul Arnott, who has been searching for Jay in Tenerife, said that a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones Jay was last seen wearing had been found close to where his mobile phone last pinged. 

Key Points

• Family ‘vow to carry on search’
• Spanish police call off search for Jay Slater
• Jay Slater’s father ‘disappointed’ at lack of volunteers
• Jay Slater’s father and brother attend search site

[2 July 2024 06:00 · Athena Stavrou]

TV detective continues investigation as police finish search

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas said he now has a ‘very detailed picture’ of Jay Slater’s movements before he went missing as he continues his private investigation.

Tenerife’s Civil Guard ceased their search for the missing 19-year-old on Sunday after almost 2 weeks of searching the Rural de Teno park.

Williams-Thomas, who helped investigate Nicola Bulley’s dissapearance, urged his family to use the GoFundMe donations to pay for private detectives to keep the search alive.

He wrote on X: “Although the police search in the mountains and around Masca has concluded, the police investigation into Jay Slater’s disappearance remains ongoing. In regard to our investigation we have been able to speak to important witnesses and now have a very detailed picture of Jays movements over 16 & 17th along with important background information.

“We still have a number of outstanding actions , but have given the family a preliminary breakdown of findings.

“In light of the police search ending. I have suggested the family should use the GoFundMe money to continue the search using experts in searching.”

[2 July 2024 07:00 · Athena Stavrou]

Jay Slater: Everything we know about the Briton missing in Tenerife

Worried relatives and friends are still searching for a sighting of British teenager Jay Slater after he vanished on the island of Tenerife.

The 19-year-old was on his first ever holiday without his family when he vanished as he walked back to his accommodation last Monday morning.

He had gone to stay with two people he had met at the NRG music festival and, having missed the last bus back, embarked on what would have been an 11 hour walk.

Read the full story here:

[2 July 2024 08:08 · Athena Stavrou]

Tenerife mayor insists investigation ongoing

A local mayor in Tenerife has insisted police are continuing to investigate Jay Slater’s dissapearance after the official search was called off.

“The investigation that the Civil Guard is carrying out in this case has several lines of inquiry open,” Mayor Emilio Navarro told Sky News on Monday.

He added: “It’s not that the search has stopped. Maybe, yes, in the territory, the field search, but other lines are open.”

Mr Navarro is the mayor Santiago Del Teide, where part of the search for the 19-year-old was focused. At one point, locals had reported seeing someone of Jay’s likeness watching a Euro 2024 match.

Mr Navarro later said he did not believe Jay ever arrived in the town.

(Holly Evans )

[2 July 2024 08:38 · Athena Stavrou]

Man who found what could be Jay’s sunglasses speaks out

The man who thinks he may have found Jay Slater’s sunglasses near to the location his phone last pinged says he thinks Jay’s phone was thrown into undergrowth.

Former British soldier Chris Pennington, 43, lives on the island and found the sunglasses while trying to help the search.

Hey told the MailOnline: “‘I parked up near the viewpoint near where the phone last pinged and found them on the ground near some bushes and in the area where they have been searching. I don’t know if they are Jay’s but as a duty of care I picked them up and told the Guardia Civil about them.”

He also walked further to where Jay’s phone last supposedly pinged but said it was “impossible” to get through the growth.

He said: “You would have needed a machete to get through all that undergrowth so this phone pinged from there it’s because someone threw it in there.”

[2 July 2024 08:38 · Athena Stavrou]

Jay Slater’s family ‘in constant contact’ with police

Jay Slater’s family are “in constant contact” with police in Tenerife as they fight o make sure authorities are not giving up on the case.

The missing 19-year-old’s mother Debbie Duncan, father Warren Slater and brother Zak have all flown out to the island to continue searching for Jay,

A source close to the family told The Mirror: “The family want to be sure the police aren’t giving up on Jay. They are in constant contact with them about the case.”

Tenerife’s civil guard called off the official search for Jay on Sunday after almost two weeks of searching.

(PA/ITN)

[2 July 2024 08:39 · Athena Stavrou]

Pausing blog

We are pausing our live coverage of the disappearance of Jay Slater in Tenerife. We will continue to report any major developments in the search.