British police react to news that search for Jay Slater in Tenerife has been called off

Jul 02, 2024

Lancashire Constabulary has told Sky News its “position hasn’t changed” – and it remains open to assisting in the search for Jay Slater.

It comes after the Civil Guard confirmed that efforts to find the missing 19-year-old in a remote mountainous area of Tenerife have been called off.

British officers had initially extended an offer of assistance back on 21 June, but Spanish police said they were “satisfied they had the resources they need”.

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Sky News policing analyst Graham Wettone says Lancashire Constabulary would be unable to insist on helping with the search.

However, he believes local officers should still be investigating where the teenager could be – and speaking to Jay’s friends to corroborate their stories.

Mr Wettone also suggested knocking on doors in the rural area where he went missing, as some may not even be aware about the case.

Describing Jay’s disappearance as a “really strange”, the commentator said many things about the case don’t add up – and revisiting eyewitness accounts, as well as verifying the facts, could help detectives find answers.

“Who had he spoken to while he was on that island?” Mr Wettone asked.

The policing expert went on to speculate that the Civil Guard might have information which isn’t being disclosed to the public.

“Some police forces around the world are not as open and transparent and happy to share information as they are here,” he added.

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Spanish officials have faced criticism for calling off the search for Jay, who was last seen on 17 June.

But a mayor in Tenerife has insisted that detectives are continuing to pursue several lines of inquiry.

Mr Wettone said he had no criticism of how Spanish authorities had handled the case so far.

“This is an adult that didn’t come back after a night out,” he added. “You can’t launch a full-scale search every time that happens.”

Meanwhile, a volunteer who has been scouring the harsh landscape for Jay has claimed he was stopped by two plain-clothes detectives on Monday.

The “special investigative team” had recognised Paul Arnott from his TikTok videos.

Mr Arnott said both officers were “very nice” and “communicative”, and shared information on the areas they believe Jay could be in.

“They gave me their direct WhatsApp so I can get in contact with them if I find anything,” he added.

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