Jay Slater missing - latest: Teenager’s mother says search is ‘no holiday’ in fervent response to trolls
The mother of missing Jay Slater has issued a impassioned response to trolls who have questioned the spending of money raised for the search.
In a post on the official Jay Slater Missing Facebook group, Debbie Duncan said: “My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday.”
Ms Duncan and her family flew out to Tenerife to join the search after the 19-year-old went missing on 17 June.
Nearly £50,000 has been raised on a GoFundMe page to find the teenager, and the money will be used to support searches, paying for accommodation, equipment and other essentials.
After some questioned the spending of money, Ms Duncan responded on Facebook.
“For those of you who are more concerned around the Gofundme page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves,” she said.
Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival on the Canary Island on Sunday June 16, before he went back to an AirBnb around an hours drive from the festival with two men he had met.
He left the property early on Monday morning and called his friend at 8.50am to say that he was lost in the Rural de Teno park with no water and only had one per cent battery on his phone.
Key Points
Jay’s mother hits back at trolls
Jay knew men whose AirBnb he went back to ‘through friends’
Jay Slater’s mother says mystery surrounding her son’s disappearance may never surface
Man who took Jay Slater back to his AirBnb insists teen was alive when he left
TikToker and hiker Callum Fahim back home in London
15:41 , Alex Ross
We’ve spoken to TikToker and hiker Callum Fahim, who flew out to Tenerife to support Jay Slater’s mother in the search for her 19-year-old son.
He received money from Debbie Duncan for accommodation, but has now ended his search and is now back at home in London.
What was going through mind of Jay Slater?
13:56 , Alex Ross
TikToker and keen hiker Callum Fahim has been out in Tenerife searching for Jay Slater.
He got involved after seeing the appeals online and wanting to offer help to the family.
Mr Slater had gone to stay with two people he had met at the NRG music festival and, having missed the bus back on the morning of 17 June, embarked on what would have been an 11-hour walk back to his accommodation.
Asked if searching helped him understand what was going through the missing teenager’s mind, Mr Fahim said: “Truthfully coming up that mountain as you get up further it gets hot, the air gets really thin and you struggle to breathe, then it turns hot then cold then hot again.
“It makes you think you’re really ill - like you have some horrendous fever.
“I don’t think personally without transport or a phone you could make it up here. You go into the middle of it the road vanishes and all you can see is the volcano.
“I would be confused if I didn’t know where I was going. I’m not scared. I always say, ‘I look a little soft but I can handle myself 100%.’”
‘We don’t need hikers, we need experts’ - Jay Slater’s mother
12:37 , Alex Ross
Jay Slater’s mother was asked about the efforts of TikToker and keen hiker, Callum Fahim, who has been out searching on the island for any trace of the 19-year-old.
He attracted international attention when Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, named him as one of the people she would be giving some money from the GoFundMe donations to.
But speaking to Sky News, Ms Duncan said they wanted to save the funds to pay for specialist search and rescue teams likely to cost thousands of pounds.
She said: “We appreciate every single person who’s come out. He’s a hiker. We don’t need hikers, we need experts.”
GoFundMe - where donations will go
11:40 , Alex Ross
In a statement on the GoFundMe appeal Get Jay Slater Home, which had raised almost £50,000, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan thanked the “vast” generosity of donors, saying her family are “grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time”.
Ms Duncan wrote that part of the funds will be used to support volunteers hunting for Mr Slater in the mountains near to where his last phone call was traced.
She went on: “We are currently looking after Paul Arnett, putting together a package of any equipment and essentials he needs and going up to do a drop for him.
“We are also supporting Callum Fahim and his group with accommodation and other essentials.”
What else did Jay Slater’s mother say in her Facebook post
11:25 , Alex Ross
“I feel the need to post this to your group and then I shall remove myself. I joined this group to share the positivity and love from the British public. It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds. It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday.
“He came on his first holiday to Tenerife to attend the NRG music event. What mystery surrounding his disappearance may never surface. We as a family are truly devastated. I did not ask for publicity from the start and was not aware that the first missing poster had my telephone number on it.
“It should have had the SOS Guardia Civil but like I say this was out of my control.
“Whatever decision you have in your minds I cannot control this either. We are a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell. I would like to thank the genuine people for their love and support at this difficult time and to continue to pray for Jay to be found.”
Jay’s mother hits back at trolls
10:03 , Alex Ross
Last week, the mother of missing Briton Jay Slater said donations reaching almost £50,000 will be used to support volunteers helping to find her son in Tenerife.
Debbie Duncan wrote that part of the funds will be used to support volunteers hunting for Mr Slater in the mountains near to where his last phone call was traced.
But it appears she’s come under attack from trolls over the spending.
In response, in a Facebook post posted on an official Facebook page for the search, she said: “It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds.
“It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday. He came on his first holiday to Tenerife to attend the NRG music event.
“We as a family are truly devastated.”
She added: “For those of you who are more concerned around the GoFundMe page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.
“I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds.”
‘ I’ve been living off BBQ Doritos and Appletisers’
08:36 , Alex Ross
With some still searching for Jay Slater in Tenerife, we spoke to one, TikToker and hiker Callum Fahim, who has been on his own personal search for the past two weeks.
“The most sleep I’ve had is about two hours because I have to plan all the routes overnight,” he said.
“I haven’t been able to eat properly; I’ve been living off BBQ Doritos and Appletisers.
Read Barney Davis’ interview here:
TikToker lived off Doritos while scouring Tenerife searching for missing Jay Slater
Full story: Jay Slater could still be alive ‘drinking rainwater and eating plants’, detective says
07:00 , Athena Stavrou
A private investigator has urged Jay Slater’s family “not to give up hope”, claiming the missing teenager could still be alive “drinking rainwater and eating plants”.
The 19-year-old from Lancashire has not been seen or heard from since hedisappeared on the morning of June 17 in Tenerife’s Rural de Teno national park.
His disappearance sparked huge national interest and a huge search operation but following a gruelling 13-day search, the Spanish Civil Guard called off its operation on Sunday.
However, private investigator and army reservist Juan García, 53, said that it was too early to halt the search.
Read the full story below:
Jay Slater could still be alive ‘drinking rainwater’, detective says
Jay Slater’s dad wonders if son was making his way to sea
06:00 , Athena Stavrou
Jay Slater’s father Warren, 58, has been searching a trail at Jay’s last known location at Rural de Teno Park on Wednesday.
Asked if he thinks Jay may have been heading towards the sea, which was visible in the distance, Warren told the Manchester Evening News: “Maybe”.
“I’ve done this trail now twice. Every step I’ve took there’s been an opening. If you land on one of those cactus’ you’re not moving. Surely somebody’s gonna find you after two weeks.”
Speaking about the area below him, he said: “It’s hundreds of square feet of this little bushy stuff. You can’t explain this to somebody unless they see it. You can take a photograph or film it, but until you’re here...”.
Jay knew men whose AirBnb he went back to ‘through friends’
05:00 , Athena Stavrou
The man whose AirBnb Jay Slater visited before disappearing said they knew each other through friends.
Ayub Qassim is believed to be one of two men who invited Jay Slater back to their holiday accommodation in Masca in the early hours of Monday morning.
Jay left the Airbnb at around 8am but having missed the bus back down to his own accommodation in Playa de Las Americas, he attempted an 11 hour journey through the remote and challenging terrain of Rural de Teno park.
Mr Qassim said Jay left the house “alive” and said he knew Jay “through friends”.
“I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them,” he told the MailOnline. “I don’t know if he had beef elsewhere because I don’t know him that well, I only know him through friends.”
He added: “He’s a cool guy, Jay. He ain’t got a problem with me, I haven’t got a problem with him or his mates. We just all talk to each other and everything was sweet.”
Forensic officers spotted inside AirBnb rental property
03:30 , Athena Stavrou
Forensic officers were spotted at the AirBnb in Masca on Tuesday, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Two police officers were seen inside the holiday rental apartment where Jay stayed the night before his disappearance. The men, who were both wearing plain clothes, exited the property shortly after 11am wearing forensic style blue slip-ons over their shoes.
They were then seen taking the slip-ons off before speaking to a local, who had let them into the property with a key.
Friends told Jay Slater ‘head back to AirBnb’ before disappearance
02:00 , Athena Stavrou
A TV detective investigating Jay Slater’s dissapearance has said the teenager was told by friends to head back to an AirBnB where he had stayed the night before he went missing.
Mark Williams-Thomas - who also investigated Nicola Bulley’s disappearance - has been assisting Jay’s family in their search for the 19-year-old in Tenerife.
Jay seemingly left the Veronica’s party strip in the south of the island in the early hours of Monday morning with two men he had met, before taking an hour-long drive to
They travelled an hours drive back to their holiday accommodation in Masca, which Jay left several hours later and having missed the bus, attempted to walk 11 hours back towards his own accommodation.
Mr Williams-Thomas highlighted Jay’s strange decision to embark on the walk through challenging terrain rather than return to the AirBnb.
He said: “He was told to go back to the rental. He said he could not do that and that he had already been walking 30 minutes and that he was now off the road and walking on a track, where there were loose stones.”
The vanished of Tenerife: Other people who disappeared on the island where Jay Slater went missing
01:00 , Athena Stavrou
Tourists looking for an easygoing, fun holiday in the sun have headed to the island of Tenerife for decades.
From the party vibes of the neon-lit strip of Playa De Las Americas to the spiritual hikes across cacti-infested ravines in the heat, there is something for everyone.
But with its rocky cliff faces and harsh terrain, the island also has a dangerous side with completely inaccessible areas.
My colleague Barney Davis reports:
Tenerife’s missing: Other people who vanished on island where Jay Slater disappeared
Man whose AirBnb Jay Slater went back to breaks silence
Friday 5 July 2024 00:01 , Athena Stavrou
The man who invited Jay Slater back to his AirBnb before he disappeared has broken his silence.
The 19-year-old went missing after he left the holiday accommodation early on Monday morning to catch a bus back towards his own accommodation on the other side of the island.
Ayub Qassim invited Jay back to the remote holiday cottage near the village of Masca after a night out in Playa de las Americas.
“He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive,” he told the MailOnline.
He added: “I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them.
“I’m doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It’s a bit mental. I haven’t even done anything.”
He insisted they had no argument and he had even given Jay a blanket to sleep in. He and his friend - who was also staying at the AirBnb - extended their trip for a day to speak with police before travelling back to the UK.
Spanish police have described the pair as “irrelevant” to the investigation.
Jay Slater is a ‘normal guy’ with a large group of friends, say family
Thursday 4 July 2024 22:30 , Athena Stavrou
In an emotional statement, his family described him as a “beautiful” boy who had been studying for an apprenticeship at the time he disappeared.
They said: “My son, Jay Dean Slater, came to the holiday island of Tenerife on 13 June with his friend to attend a music festival.
“On 17 June after not returning to his apartment he was reported as a missing person.
“Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends.
“We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”
‘Sunglasses could be vital clue in hunt for Jay Slater’
Thursday 4 July 2024 21:30 , Athena Stavrou
The Daily Mail’s Nick Pisa said he had spoken to a man who had “found a pair of sunglasses” on the gorge, and had handed them in to the police.
Pisa explained to GB News: “I’ve now spoken to an ex-British Army officer who found some sunglasses up there. He was asked not to put them in a plastic bag because of humidity, but to wrap them up in tissue paper, which he did.
“He handed them in and he had to give DNA and his fingerprints. The question is, are they connected to Jay?”
Missing Persons Tenerife group swells as Jay Slater search captures national zeitgeist
Thursday 4 July 2024 20:30 , Athena Stavrou
The Missing Persons Tenerife Facebook Group has swollen from 340 members to almost 8,000 in a fortnight.
Most, but not all of those joining are British nationals, some of whom are worried about their safety in visiting Tenerife, as well as those having an interest in the Jay Slater case.
Its admin Deborah Clarke-Topper said the spike meant other historical missing persons cases are gaining attention.
She told The Independent: “It is clear that the coverage of the case is building a perception that Tenerife is not a safe destination, and that the police do not act as favourably toward Britons on holiday as they would their own citizens.
“However, I am sure that the Spanish police are extremely earnest in their investigation and reaching a conclusion to it is what they want, regardless of the nationality of the missing person. As long as the case remains unresoved there will be negative perception on the safety of holiday makers.”
ICYMI: Jay Slater machete gang attack victim hits out at internet trolls and urges them to help find teenager
Thursday 4 July 2024 19:30 , Athena Stavrou
A man who had his “skull split open” in a machete attack carried out by a gang including Jay Slater has broken his silence on the desperate search for the teenager who vanished in Tenerife.
The missing 19-year-old was part of a group of eight people who attacked Tom Hilton, then 17, with a machete, golf clubs and an axe in Rishton, Lancashire, in 2021.
The apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, was handed an 18-month community order with 25 days of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work for his role in the violent disorder.
Read the full story:
Jay Slater machete gang attack victim urges internet trolls to help find teenager
ICYMI: Jay Slater’s dad blasts ‘being left in the dark’ by Spanish police
Thursday 4 July 2024 18:30 , Athena Stavrou
Warren Slater, 58, was asked about the investigation today as he searched for the 19-year-old in the ravine where Jay’s phone last ‘pinged’ 16 days ago.
Commenting on the investigation, Warren said: “The police here are doing their own investigations. They’re not really telling us anything, they’re not telling you lot anything, we’re in the dark. They know best. Do you think they should be still searching?
“If it was in England I’d be making a stink, but we’re in a foreign country and we’ve just got to leave it to people who know best.”
Jay Slater’s mother says mystery surrounding her son’s disappearance may never surface
Thursday 4 July 2024 17:51 , Barney Davis
On a Facebook Group designed to share leads into the missing teen, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan said: “I feel the need to post this to your group and then I shall remove myself. I joined this group to share the positivity and love from the British public. It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds.
“It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday. He came on his first holiday to Tenerife to attend the NRG music event.
“What mystery surrounding his disappearance may never surface. We as a family are truly devastated.
“I did not ask for publicity from the start and was not aware that the first missing poster had my telephone number on it. It should have had the SOS Guardia Civil but like I say this was out of my control. Whatever decision you have in your minds I cannot control this either.”
She added: “We are a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell. I would like to thank the genuine people for their love and support at this difficult time and to continue to pray for Jay to be found. For those of you who are more concerned around the Gofundme page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.
“I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds. If any of you in this group have donated I am thankful.
“For the other mothers out there. Please continue to pray. Thank you.”
Man who’s AirBnb Jay Slater went back to breaks silence
Thursday 4 July 2024 17:30 , Athena Stavrou
The man who invited Jay Slater back to his AirBnb before he disappeared has broken his silence.
The 19-year-old went missing after he left the holiday accommodation early on Monday morning to catch a bus back towards his own accommodation on the other side of the island.
Ayub Qassim invited Jay back to the remote holiday cottage near the village of Masca after a night out in Playa de las Americas.
“He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive,” he told the MailOnline.
He added: “I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them.
“I’m doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It’s a bit mental. I haven’t even done anything.”
He insisted they had no argument and he had even given Jay a blanket to sleep in. He and his friend - who was also staying at the AirBnb - extended their trip for a day to speak with police before travelling back to the UK.
Spanish police have described the pair as “irrelevant” to the investigation.
Watch: Britons using new safety measures in Tenerife after Jay Slater disappearance
Thursday 4 July 2024 16:30 , Athena Stavrou
Young Britons holidaying in Tenerife say the disappearance of teenager Jay Slater has made them take extra safety precautions.
The 19-year-old disappeared after attending a music festival with friends two weeks ago.
Spanish police have now said the hunt for Mr Slater had ended with the case remaining open.
Young holidaymakers heading to Tenerife spoke to Sky News about their fears on Monday (1 July).
One person said: “We are more cautious and aware. We have got our own locations on. We wouldn’t have considered that when we booked it.”
Another added: “I am a little more scared, so made sure we have got each other’s locations on.”
Jay Slater GoFundMe nears £50k
Thursday 4 July 2024 15:45 , Athena Stavrou
The fundraiser set up to help find Jay Slater is nearing £50,000 in donations.
Over 4.1k people have donated money to the GoFundMe since it was launched in the days following his disappearance in Tenerife.
The total donated as of 3:30pm stands at £49,396.
Full statement from Jay Slater’s family
Thursday 4 July 2024 15:09 , Athena Stavrou
Here is the full family statement from Debbie Duncan who spoke through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global on Tuesday:
“My son, Jay Dean Slater, came to the holiday island of Tenerife on 13 June with his friend to attend a music festival.
“On 17 June after not returning to his apartment he was reported as a missing person.
“Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends.
“We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.
“We do not have any information on his whereabouts.
“The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced. They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.
“Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.
“We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow lines of inquiries.
“We would like to say to the press/news/reporters, that although we do not want to lose the momentum of Jay’s disappearance, we really would like to maintain our privacy and crucially let the Spanish police get on with their investigations without hindrance from press.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile, the negative comments are extremely distressing to our family.
“We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe. It has not gone unnoticed, especially his home town in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.
“As a family we would like the world to respect our privacy at this present time.”
Full story: Jay Slater could still be alive ‘drinking rainwater and eating plants’, detective says
Thursday 4 July 2024 13:45 , Athena Stavrou
A private investigator has urged Jay Slater’s family “not to give up hope”, claiming the missing teenager could still be alive “drinking rainwater and eating plants”.
The 19-year-old from Lancashire has not been seen or heard from since hedisappeared on the morning of June 17 in Tenerife’s Rural de Teno national park.
His disappearance sparked huge national interest and a huge search operation but following a gruelling 13-day search, the Spanish Civil Guard called off its operation on Sunday.
However, private investigator and army reservist Juan García, 53, said that it was too early to halt the search.
Read the full story below:
Jay Slater could still be alive ‘drinking rainwater’, detective says
ICYMI: Jay Slater’s mother says ‘Words cannot describe the pain and agony’ of son’s disappearance
Thursday 4 July 2024 13:30 , Athena Stavrou
The mother of missing Jay Slater said “words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing” after searches on Tenerife failed to trace the missing 19-year-old.
In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie Duncan said the land search for her son has been called off, but thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced”.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17 after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island.
His mother’s statement said: “We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”
In focus: Jay Slater’s disappearance has exposed the horrifying cruelty of social media
Thursday 4 July 2024 13:00 , Athena Stavrou
Trolls mocking missing Jay Slater, Baby Reindeer’s real-life Martha tracked down and hounded online, armchair sleuths endlessly theorising about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance – Helen Coffey asks, when did we collectively lose our empathy?
Jay Slater’s disappearance has exposed the horrifying cruelty of social media
Jay Slater’s dad wonders if son was making his way to sea
Thursday 4 July 2024 12:30 , Athena Stavrou
Jay Slater’s father Warren, 58, has been searching a trail at Jay’s last known location at Rural de Teno Park on Wednesday.
Asked if he thinks Jay may have been heading towards the sea, which was visible in the distance, Warren told the Manchester Evening News: “Maybe”.
“I’ve done this trail now twice. Every step I’ve took there’s been an opening. If you land on one of those cactus’ you’re not moving. Surely somebody’s gonna find you after two weeks.”
Speaking about the area below him, he said: “It’s hundreds of square feet of this little bushy stuff. You can’t explain this to somebody unless they see it. You can take a photograph or film it, but until you’re here...”.
Jay Slater could still be alive surviving off ‘rainwater and plants', private investigator suggests
Thursday 4 July 2024 11:52 , Athena Stavrou
A private investigator has urged Jay Slater’s family “not to give up hope” as he suggests he could still be alive drinking “rainwater” and eating “plants”.
Juan García, an army reservist and private investigator, says he has been in touch with Jay Slater’s family and told The Times: ““two weeks is too premature to end the search.
“[Slater] could be alive somewhere — someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope.”
Forensic officers spotted inside AirBnb rental property
Thursday 4 July 2024 10:59 , Athena Stavrou
Forensic officers were spotted at the AirBnb in Masca on Tuesday, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Two police officers were seen inside the holiday rental apartment where Jay stayed the night before his disappearance. The men, who were both wearing plain clothes, exited the property shortly after 11am wearing forensic style blue slip-ons over their shoes.
They were then seen taking the slip-ons off before speaking to a local, who had let them into the property with a key.
Jay knew men whose AirBnb he went back to ‘through friends'
Thursday 4 July 2024 09:51 , Athena Stavrou
The man who’s AirBnb Jay Slater visited before disappearing said they knew each other through friends.
Ayub Qassim is believed to be one of two men who invited Jay Slater back to their holiday accommodation in Masca in the early hours of Monday morning.
Jay left the Airbnb at around 8am but having missed the bus back down to his own accommodation in Playa de Las Americas, he attempted an 11 hour journey through the remote and challenging terrain of Rural de Teno park.
Mr Qassim said Jay left the house “alive” and said he knew Jay “through friends”.
“I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them,” he told the MailOnline. “I don’t know if he had beef elsewhere because I don’t know him that well, I only know him through friends.”
He added: “He’s a cool guy, Jay. He ain’t got a problem with me, I haven’t got a problem with him or his mates. We just all talk to each other and everything was sweet.”
Friends told Jay Slater ‘head back to AirBnb’ before disappearance
Thursday 4 July 2024 09:17 , Tom Barnes
A TV detective investigating Jay Slater’s dissapearance has said the teenager was told by friends to head back to an AirBnB where he had stayed the night before he went missing.
Mark Williams-Thomas - who also investigated Nicola Bulley’s disappearance - has been assisting Jay’s family in their search for the 19-year-old in Tenerife.
Jay seemingly left the Veronica’s party strip in the south of the island in the early hours of Monday morning with two men he had met, before taking an hour-long drive to
They travelled an hours drive back to their holiday accommodation in Masca, which Jay left several hours later and having missed the bus, attempted to walk 11 hours back towards his own accommodation.
Mr Williams-Thomas highlighted Jay’s strange decision to embark on the walk through challenging terrain rather than return to the AirBnb.
He said: “He was told to go back to the rental. He said he could not do that and that he had already been walking 30 minutes and that he was now off the road and walking on a track, where there were loose stones.”
Family of missing teenager criticise ‘vile’ conspiracy theories
Thursday 4 July 2024 09:00 , Athena Stavrou
The family of Jay Slater said they were aware of the “vile” conspiracy theories being spread online about his disappearance, and said they were “extremely distressing”.
In a statement, they said: “We would like to say to the press/news/reporters, that although we do not want to lose the momentum of Jay’s disappearance, we really would like to maintain our privacy and crucially let the Spanish police get on with their investigations without hindrance from press.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile, the negative comments are extremely distressing to our family.
Man who’s AirBnb Jay Slater went back to breaks silence
Thursday 4 July 2024 08:36 , Athena Stavrou
The man who invited Jay Slater back to his AirBnb before he disappeared has broken his silence.
The 19-year-old went missing after he left the holiday accommodation early on Monday morning to catch a bus back towards his own accommodation on the other side of the island.
Ayub Qassim invited Jay back to the remote holiday cottage near the village of Masca after a night out in Playa de las Americas.
“He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive,” he told the MailOnline.
He added: “I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them.
“I’m doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It’s a bit mental. I haven’t even done anything.”
He insisted they had no argument and he had even given Jay a blanket to sleep in. He and his friend - who was also staying at the AirBnb - extended their trip for a day to speak with police before travelling back to the UK.
Spanish police have described the pair as “irrelevant” to the investigation.
Jay Slater’s dad blasts ‘being left in the dark’ by Spanish police
Thursday 4 July 2024 06:00 , Barney Davis
Warren Slater, 58, was asked about the investigation today as he searched for the 19-year-old in the ravine where Jay’s phone last ‘pinged’ 16 days ago.
Commenting on the investigation, Warren said: “The police here are doing their own investigations. They’re not really telling us anything, they’re not telling you lot anything, we’re in the dark. They know best. Do you think they should be still searching?
“If it was in England I’d be making a stink, but we’re in a foreign country and we’ve just got to leave it to people who know best.”
‘Sunglasses could be vital clue in hunt for Jay Slater'
Thursday 4 July 2024 04:39 , Barney Davis
The Daily Mail’s Nick Pisa said he had spoken to a man who had “found a pair of sunglasses” on the gorge, and had handed them in to the police.
Pisa explained to GB News: “I’ve now spoken to an ex-British Army officer who found some sunglasses up there. He was asked not to put them in a plastic bag because of humidity, but to wrap them up in tissue paper, which he did.
“He handed them in and he had to give DNA and his fingerprints. The question is, are they connected to Jay?”
Detective ‘confident’ that Snapchat picture is if missing Jay Slater
Thursday 4 July 2024 03:00 , Barney Davis
Mark Williams-Thomas says is “confident” that a crucial photo is of Jay wearing his “black and green AirMax trainers, which he had on the night he went out”.
He said: “Whilst on the walk he talked to and messaged his friends. Whilst walking Jay spoke to at least three people telling them that he was lost with little phone battery and without water.
“He was told to go back by at least two people to the rental. He said he could not do that and that he’d already been walking 30 minutes and that he was now off-road and was walking on a track where there were loose stones.
“We know that at 8.49 and 8.50 Jay sent his location via both Snapchat and WhatsApp to two friends. We can confirm it was Jay using his phone at that stage and there was no indication that he was with anyone.”
The vanished of Tenerife: Other people who disappeared on the island where Jay Slater went missing
Thursday 4 July 2024 01:30 , Barney Davis
Several people still remain missing on the island of Tenerife after vanishing decades ago
Tenerife’s missing: Other people who vanished on island where Jay Slater disappeared
Missing Persons Tenerife group swells as Jay Slater search captures national zeitgeist
Wednesday 3 July 2024 23:00 , Barney Davis
The Missing Persons Tenerife Facebook Group has swollen from 340 members to almost 8,000 in a fortnight.
Most, but not all of those joining are British nationals, some of whom are worried about their safety in visiting Tenerife, as well as those having an interest in the Jay Slater case.
Its admin Deborah Clarke-Topper said the spike meant other historical missing persons cases are gaining attention.
She told The Independent: “It is clear that the coverage of the case is building a perception that Tenerife is not a safe destination, and that the police do not act as favourably toward Britons on holiday as they would their own citizens.
“However, I am sure that the Spanish police are extremely earnest in their investigation and reaching a conclusion to it is what they want, regardless of the nationality of the missing person. As long as the case remains unresoved there will be negative perception on the safety of holiday makers.”
AirBnb renter says he has spoken to Spanish police
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:35 , Athena Stavrou
Ayub Qassim, 31, told MailOnline he took Jay Slater back to his rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife hours before he vanished on June 17.
He added: “If I’d fallen out with him would he even come to mine?
“There were no problems. You’ve seen the last images of him with his red blanket around him.
“I don’t know if he had beef elsewhere because I don’t know him that well, I only know him through friends.”
Mr Qassim said he had only spoken to authorities in Tenerife.
He said: “I’ve spoken to the Spanish police and they’ve told me not to speak to anyone which is why I’ve been quiet.
“I’ve not spoken to Mark Williams-Thomas or anyone like him because he doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Tenerife, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Man who took Jay Slater back to his AirBnb insists teen was alive when he left
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:30 , Barney Davis
One of the men who last saw Jay Slater alive has broken his silence.
Ayub Qassim is believed to be one of the two men who was staying in the apartment Jay Slater left in the early hours to make the long trek back to his own rental accommodation.
He vanished somewhere along the 10-hour walk.
Speaking to MailOnline today Ayub Qassim said: “The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive.
“I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him.
“I know Jay, through friends, I’m not going to bring someone back to mine if I don’t know them.
“I’m doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It’s a bit mental. I haven’t even done anything.”
Britons using new safety measures in Tenerife after Jay Slater disappearance
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:30 , Holly Evans
Britons using new safety measures in Tenerife after Jay Slater disappearance
Jay Slater’s dad wonders if son was making his way to sea
Wednesday 3 July 2024 20:45 , Barney Davis
Jay Slater’s father Warren, 58, has been searching a trail at Jay’s last known location at Rural de Teno Park on Wednesday.
Asked if he thinks Jay may have been heading towards the sea, which was visible in the distance, Warren told the Manchester Evening News: “Maybe”.
“I’ve done this trail now twice. Every step I’ve took there’s been an opening. If you land on one of those cactus’ you’re not moving. Surely somebody’s gonna find you after two weeks.”
Speaking about the area below him, he said: “It’s hundreds of square feet of this little bushy stuff. You can’t explain this to somebody unless they see it. You can take a photograph or film it, but until you’re here...”.
Fulll statement as Debbie Duncan says GoFundMe funds used to help TikToker
Wednesday 3 July 2024 16:40 , Barney Davis
Debbie Duncan wrote on the GoFundMe, which has raised £48,000 on Wednesday evening. She said: “Hi again everyone. Your generosity has been vast, and we are so grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time for our family.
“As I said in my official statement, the Spanish police conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available. Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation. We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities, who continue to follow lines of inquiries.
“In the meantime, we will continue to use part of the funds to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay. We are currently looking after Paul Arnett, putting together a package of any equipment and essentials he needs and going up to do a drop for him. We are also supporting Callum Fahim and his group with accommodation and other essentials.
“The remaining funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.
“We will continue to keep you all updated on the progress on our GoFundMe page, and we thank you for your continued support. Please keep sharing and supporting our fundraiser to help us bring Jay home.”
