Jay Slater news: Locals report teen ‘watching Euro 2024 matches’ in Tenerife after last contact

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.

The father of missing British teenager Jay Slater described his ordeal as “a living hell” as the search for his son in Tenerife extended into its second week.

Speaking to reporters this week in Santiago del Teide, approximately four miles (6.4 km) from the search area, Warren Slater said: “I just want him found.”

“Somebody must know something.”

Despite efforts by specialist dog teams and police focusing on the rugged terrain of Rural de Teno National Park, the search has been likened to “looking for a needle in a haystack”.

Mr Slater’s family and friends have been actively seeking help, putting up missing posters, and raising funds for the search.

The Scot was found “tired and disoriented” having gone into a “difficult” area not suitable for travel.

Police said “he was located by the agents and the rescue team who helped him get out of the ravine”.

Briton Tom Beckett, who is familiar with the area where Jay Slater last used his phone, said the teenager may not have reached Santiago del Teide where the latest supposed image was taken.

The grainy CCTV image shows a figure walking past a church at around 6pm last Monday about four miles from the Masca village Jay was last known to be.

“Had he been on the road, he would have been seen by numerous tourists. It’s a very narrow road so they wouldn’t have missed him, they would have seen him,” Mr Beckett told Reuters.

Holly Evans reports from the scene in Tenerife:

Despite the interest among British press and tourists, Spanish locals appear to know very little about the disappearance. While Jay Slater’s photo has been plastered onto ATMs and bus stops, the Spanish police have made very few comments on the case and not much is known about the progression of the investigation.

While a group of British people from Manchester on holiday told The Independent last night that they had been checking the Facebook group chats daily, locals appear confused by the press attention.

Adela, a cafe worker in the tourist area of Los Cristianos, shook her head and simply said: “People always get lost in the mountains if they’re not careful, it just happens.”

Paul Arnott, 29, who runs TikTok page –“Down the Rapids” – with some 153,000 followers, has been updating followers on his personal search for Jay Slater.

He films himself exploring the more rugged mountainsides and ravines to help the police in their search.

He told The Telegraph: “I personally spend all my time in the mountains and I’m very interested in survival and exploring, so this is something that could happen to me one day and I say that you should treat people how you want to be treated,” Arnott says.

“At the end of the day, the boy’s lost.”

Spanish police Guardia Civil have posted an update of their search on Tenerife.

Sniffer dogs and helicopters are still being used to find Jay Slater on the island over a week since he vanished.

They posted on X: “We continue with the search for the young British man who disappeared in Tenerife

“Different civil guard units from the area participate, joined by agents with their dogs specialized in searching for people from #Madrid.”

Holly Evans reports from the scene in Tenerife:

From the winding main road which links the villages of Masca and Las Portelas, close to where Jay Slater disappeared, four white police cars can be spotted, parked down a deep ravine.

Holly Evans reports live from Tenerife:

Speaking from his office in the town hall, local mayor Emilio Navarro stated his belief that Jay Slater had not reached Santiago del Teide.

“The Guardia Civil sent us an email asking for our security cameras. We could not give it to them as they are organised through a separate company, so the police are speaking to them. But that CCTV picture is not from us and I do not recognise that place – I do not think it is in Santiago del Tiede and he is not here.

“We will help the police but it makes no sense. We have had family and journalists here but we have seen no police.”