Exclusive:
The search for missing Jay Slater on Tenerife was officially called off by Spain’s Civil Guard on Sunday morning, but now Mark Williams-Thomas, an ex police officer involved in a string of high profile missing persons cases, has given an update
A top cop who investigated Madeleine McCann and Nicola Bulley’s disappearances has urged Jay Slater’s family to fund a private search after Spanish authorities stopped looking for the missing British teen.
The search for Jay entered its 14th day on Sunday, with Tenerife’s Civil Guard confirming they were halting all attempts to find the 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. Jay was last heard from on a Monday morning two weeks ago when 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.
Former British police officer Mark Williams-Thomas, who is working with Jay’s family in Tenerife, has revealed today that he has advised them to bring in a team of experts to carry out their own private search to keep looking for their son and brother. Speaking from the island in the hours after the search officially came to an end, the 54-year-old TV sleuth told the Mirror: “The police have put considerable resources into searching for Jay and of course it is very disappointing for the family that the search by the police has now ended.
“I have advised the family to use the GoFundMe money to bring in a large team of experts to flood the area from where we know Jay last was.” The online fundraiser, which was set up by Jay’s close pal Lucy Mae Law, 18, and is titled ‘Get Jay Slater home’ last night reached nearly £44,000.
Earlier this week, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan, 55, confirmed funds would begin to be withdrawn from the GoFundMe to pay for food and accommodation for Jay’s family to stay in Tenerife, and to fly more loved ones out to the island to sustain the search.
The news comes just a day after only six volunteers joined a “macro search” help by the Spanish Police on Saturday. Jay’s dad Warren and older brother Zak also visited the search site that day and offered a new update from the family’s side of things. Warren, 58, is estranged, but on good terms with Debbie.
Speaking about Saturday’s search operation, he said: “It’s a bit disappointing that there are no British apart from [British TikTokker] Paul, but I suppose to them he’s just a British lad who’s come out here and got drunk.
“I’m grateful to those who have come out here because you can see just how dangerous it is and what gets me is the trollers who are having a go at us for not searching. It’s not the local park, these are big mountains, the terrain is dangerous, put yourself in our position would you go out in these conditions? It’s tough, it’s hard, we are leaving it to the professionals and I’m grateful for those who have turned out today and I want to thank them for what they are doing.”
