Jay Slater missing latest: Police in Tenerife refuse help of British cops in search for teenager

Lancashire Police said it offered to help in the search for missing teenager Jay Slater.

But Spain’s Guardia Civil said it had all the resources needed to look for him.

The force said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jay’s family at this time. They must be going through the most distressing ordeal not knowing what has happened to their loved one.

“We have specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay’s family.

“Whilst this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources. They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.

“Once again, our thoughts remain with Jay’s family and friends at this distressing time.”

In his last Snapchat post at 7.30am, Mr Slater tagged Parque Rural de Teno Buenavista del Norte, an area to the north of the island, known for its rugged and sparse terrain.

He is believed to have travelled to the area during the early hours of Monday morning with two new acquaintances, without realising the distance from his apartment in the tourist area of Los Cristianos.

Around an hour later, he phoned his friend Lucy to tell her he had missed his bus, and was planning to make the 11-hour walk.

He told her he had cut his leg on a cactus, was unsure of his location and had barely any phone battery to use a maps app to make his way back.

Search teams are currently scouring the area, with police deploying helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs to help with the search.

British police have offered to assist Spanish authorities in searching for missing teenager Jay Slater after he vanished in Tenerife.

Lancashire Police said it had “made an offer of support” to Spain’s Guardia Civil to provide additional resources for the ongoing search.

A spokesperson told The Independent: “While this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources.

“They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.”

Jay’s friends and family have raised concerns he may have been taken against his will.

His mother, Debbie Duncan, flew to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on Tuesday morning to search for him.

Ms Duncan said she feared her son, who is an apprentice bricklayer, had “been taken against his will”.

She said: “It’s just traumatic and it doesn’t feel real. It’s just awful, it’s horrendous. I think he’s been taken against his will with what’s been said, but it’s in the hands of the police.”

She added that the police leading the search had been “very good”.

A specialist mountain rescue team, including a police helicopter, has been deployed to look for Jay.

A spokesperson for the Civil Guard said it was focusing on the area around the village of Masca – which is nearby his last known location in the north.

Authorities briefly switched their search to the south of the island in tourist on Wednesday, close to where Jay was staying with friends in the popular tourist hotspots Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas.

However, they later returned the search to the Rural de Teno park after the alleged sighting of Jay was believed to be false.