Missing teenager Jay Slater's outcome is looking "bleak" as search teams "need more people on the ground", Travel Writer Joe Cawley has claimed.
The 19-year-old from Lancashire went missing on the island of Tenerife twelve days ago, after travelling to an AirBnb with two other British men.
In the latest development in the search for Slater, his family have revealed that they are planning to "withdraw some of the money raised" to fund the Guardia Civil's operations.
Speaking to GB News, Cawley said that the family using some of the almost £40,000 raised means they "need more people on the ground" to help police.
Jay Slater has been missing in Tenerife for twelve days after attempting to walk back to his accommodation
PA / GB News / Reuters
When asked if there are any developments on the claims made by the Mayor of "sightings" of Slater by Spanish locals, Cawley said there has been "no other word" about them since the claim was first made.
Cawley explained: "I know the police are actually talking to people in Santiago del Teide, where some of the locals reported to the mayor that they'd seen Jay watching the euros.
"There's been no other word about that so far, but it has been investigated."
Host Stephen Dixon highlighted the comments made by police that they fear he "may never be found", and asked Cawley if that would be the "worst possible scenario" in the case.
Search teams have not found any evidence in connection with the missing teenager
Reuters
Cawley responded: "It's day 12 now, it is dangerous terrain. It's very difficult for people to survive in those conditions.
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"It has to be said, it's looking bleak. The family is still holding out as much hope as they can, and they will naturally. But it is looking bleak."
Cawley also revealed that having spoken to Spanish locals himself around the area about the case, he told GB News that a lot of people "don't actually know who Jay is".
He added: "I think one thing that is surprising over here is I've been talking to some locals, and there's a lack of awareness of this case on the island.
"Amongst the young Spanish population, people are still saying, if you talk about the story, that they have no idea. So I think maybe more efforts could be made in making the local Spanish population more aware."
Joe Cawley says it is 'very difficult to survive' the terrain where Slater went missing
GB News
Turning the discussion to the online response to Slater's case and the many conspiracy theories surrounding it, Cawley condemned the "horrendous trolling" of the teenager and his family.
When asked if the social media attention is a "help or hindrance" to the case, Cawley responded: "There's a lot of trolling going on, and a can of worms was opened when one or two people started questioning whether this was some kind of scam, and then everybody piled in.
"The police have said themselves, this noise behind the case as they put it, is certainly not helping in many ways."
