Jay Slater's family were 'left in the dark' as search is called off but will 'continue to search for him'

He disappeared after arriving in Tenerife to attend the three-day New Rave Generation festival with two friends.

A Civil Guard spokeswoman said on Sunday: “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open.”

Investigators have confirmed they remain open to any tip-offs and additional information about Slater’s potential whereabouts.

A family friend of the Slaters claimed relatives were left “in the dark” over what would happen next.

Rachel Hargreaves, another close family friend who joined them on the island, told The Telegraph: “Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him.”

Slater vanished after being separated from friends at the Papagayo beach club a fortnight ago.

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The 19-year-old returned to the villa of two men he had met at the club.

Slater was seen leaving the villa on foot the following morning, the property owner has claimed.

Cipriano Martin, head of the Civil Guard’s Greim mountain rescue unit, confirmed claims about the two men being ruled out of the inquiry.

He explained: “We’re mountain specialists and we’re in charge of searching here, and it’s the Civil Guard investigators who have been responsible for the investigation, those men have been spoken to and they don’t have any relevance whatsoever for the case.”

Slater's friends have managed to shed some light on the events preceding his disappearance.

Brad Hargreaves, who travelled to Tenerife with Slater, told ITV: “I don’t know how or what has gone on there but he’s gone off and rang me halfway to their house saying I’m staying here and I’ll be back the next day.

“He’s rang me walking down the mountain and he just says he’s walking home.

“At the time I didn’t think anything of it I just thought he was going to get a bus home or a taxi home because that’s what he says he is going to do.

“Next thing you know his phone dies and it’s 10 days on now and nothing since.”

Lucy Law claimed that the 19-year-old was "lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on one per cent”.