Jay Slater mystery: Former detective puts major search theory to rest - 'Uninformed drivel'

During his final call to his friend Lucy Law at 8am local time last Monday, the 19-year-old said his phone had only one per cent battery, he was thirsty and he did not know where he was.

His last location showed he was in the Rural de Teno Park - an area popular among hikers. He has not been seen since and the search has entered its twelfth day.

Earlier this week, two extra dogs and their handlers were flown in from Spain to join in with the search of the “very difficult” terrain.

Officers have said that the canines have not been given pieces of Slater’s clothing to assist with the search.

It should be noted that cadaver dogs are trained to recognise the scent of human remains without needing a specific prompt but could suggest that Spanish police are not expecting to find Slater alive.

When asked whether it was an oversight for Spanish Police to not give a piece of Slater’s clothing to the sniffer dogs, Peter Bleksley shut down the theory.

He told GB News: “Scent disappears very quickly.

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“By the time the Guardia Civil deployed dogs, giving them a sniff of an item of Jay’s clothing would have been pointless.

“This is the sort of uninformed TikTok drivel that is so prevalent in this case.”

TikTok amateur detectives have flown out to Tenerife to join in the hunt for the missing teenager. In clips posted online, the sleuths have described the "very difficult" terrain, which is covered with cacti, steep cliffs and has an unforgiving altitude.

One of the sleuths, Paul Arnott, 29, has been contacted by Slater’s family for assistance.

A self-described explorer who runs the TikTok account Down the Rapids, Arnott has been searching for Slater since Saturday after he purchased a £400 flight to the island.

Posting 66 videos since arriving on the island, the missing 19-year-old’s family have reached out to him. “I’m meeting the family today,” he told The Telegraph. “I’ve been speaking with Brad’s mum, Rachel. They wanted to bring me food but I said no. They said they wanted to meet me. They said they’re really proud of what I’m doing.”

However, not all amateur investigators’ intentions seem as pure.

Recently, Slater’s mother Debbie Duncnam, posted on a “discussions and theories” Facebook page with 280,000 members to attack trolls mocking her son, pleading with them: “I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.”

Meanwhile, private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, who has been working with the family, said he has seen the “vile” messages they have been sent.

Speaking from Tenerife, he told The Independent: “There are people out there who have phoned up and said we’ve got Jay hostage, we’ve got Jay captive and they need to pay.

“There are some really vile people who have done that, they’ve tried to hack some of the social media sites, they’ve attacked some of the family. This is unacceptable. You’ve got a young lad who is missing and the family deserves respect. I would urge anyone on social media to think before you post.”

The construction company that employs Slater shared a post on Facebook yesterday begging people to stop sending them “cruel” emails and to stop posting theories online.

PH Build Group wrote in a Facebook post: “These people are trying to ruin people's lives and businesses (while) sat behind a screen looking for attention.

“Everyone may have their own theories and feelings but to publicly post them knowing you are going to hurt people is just cruel.

“Jay's family shouldn't have to endure this.”