This Morning star says police have made 'critical error' in hunt for missing Jay Slater
A This Morning star and former Scotland Yard detective has voiced his concerns that Spanish authorities may be overlooking vital leads in the search for missing Brit Jay Slater.
Ex-cop Peter Bleksley, who appears regularly on the daytime TV show alongside presenters including Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, highlighted a significant flaw in the Guardia Civil's approach, suggesting their unwavering adherence to the theory that 19 year old Jay simply got lost in Tenerife's challenging landscape could be hindering the investigation.
Earlier this week, Peter's This Morning colleague, crime reporter Isla Traquair, was slammed for flying out to join the hunt. She retraced Jay's final steps from an Airbnb where he stayed, along a twisting mountain road as he tried to walk home after deciding not to wait for a bus.
Jay, originally from Lancashire, disappeared after a music festival on the island on Monday, June 17. His last contact with friends was a message about being far from his stay with his phone battery dying.
With the search entering its twelfth day, the ex-detective fears the narrow focus of the search could be a mistake, having already said he feared Jay could be dead.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he expressed his concern: "Guardia Civil believe he's wandered into very tricky terrain with ravines, gullies, caves and cacti as sharp as razors. They are sticking to that theory. We've seen nothing to indicate they are considering other options at this stage. They have to keep all options open," reports the Mirror.
Peter has issued a warning that if the missing person theory is eventually disproved, Jay's distraught family will demand answers. He explained that while he also believes it's a missing persons case, resources should still be allocated to explore other possible leads.
He highlighted that reports suggest forensic officers haven't been involved in the case and witnesses haven't been questioned. He added: "If there's a completely different story to this, forensic opportunities are probably gone forever."
Lucy Mae Law, 18, has also questioned the police's decision-making. She has called for British authorities to join the search for her best friend and has criticised the efforts to find the apprentice bricklayer, slamming Spanish police for rejecting an offer from UK officers to assist in the search.
She expressed her frustration about the communication barrier and claimed they are not acting quickly enough. She said: "We are having to do this all by ourselves as Spanish police are not doing a good enough job. They don't even speak English. It's been a very slow process here so we need the British police to come out and help them."
She expressed her heartfelt wish, saying, "That is all we want, all that we need."
Lucy, who recently completed a Travel and Tourism college course, shared her frustrations with the Mirror: "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."
