Former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley has warned Spanish Police of "enormous embarrassment" in their search for missing teenager Jay Slater, as the investigation reaches its eleventh day.
In the latest development into Slater's disappearance, the mayor of a town close to where Jay disappeared has claimed that some locals saw the 19-year-old "watching games at the euros".
Slater disappeared on the island of Tenerife last Monday, having attended a music festival with friends. The Guardia Civil have been combing through the ravines on the island, bringing in specialist dogs for the search.
Speaking to GB News, Bleksley highlighted the "potential embarrassment" for the search teams, as police remain determined on their theory that he "became disorientated and got lost".
Peter Bleksley has hit out at the Spanish Police for
GB News / PA / Reuters
Discussing the ongoing investigation, Bleksley told GB News: "All of the developments at the moment appear to be making no difference whatsoever to the Guardia Civil's theory that they're working on and how they're conducting the search.
"Everything that they've done is in this very hostile terrain where there's gullies and ravines and caves, using helicopters, drones, additional dogs - and there seems to be no shifting them from that working hypothesis, as British police would call it."
When asked by host Ellie Costello if the Spanish Police "should be pursuing other avenues", Bleksley noted that the terrain they are searching often is "slow to give up its secrets".
Bleksley revealed: "There are tales from locals about people going out there, cyclists for example, going across this terrain, disappearing and not being found for some considerable time. We'll have to wait and see."
Spanish Police have been searching for Jay Slater for eleven days in ravines and mountainous terrain
Reuters
In criticism of the police's working theory, the former Scotland Yard detective also warned of a possible "embarrassing U-turn" if they oversee other potential outcomes.
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Bleksley told GB News: "A senior investigating officer has to, of course, consider all options, but in this case, they seem to have been so fixed on this theory that if at some later stage, detectives are deployed to investigate witnesses who were in bars, for example, or we see people in forensic suits then going to examine a property or a vehicle of the such, like if we see any of that, then that will be a massive U-turn and could potentially cause enormous embarrassment for the Guardia Civil."
When asked by Dixon if he believes the operation is now a "recovery operation" rather than a live rescue search, Bleksley agreed, adding: "That is what it would, in essence, be unless there was some form of absolute miraculous way in which Jay had managed to survive in the most hostile of territory.
"I think the longer it goes on, the less likely it is that this story is going to have a happy ending."
Turning the discussion to the mayor's claims that Jay was spotted "watching the Euros" in recent days, Bleksley highlighted how individuals can make "false claims" to deter a developing investigation.
Peter Bleksley claims the Spanish Police have been 'so fixed' on one theory surrounding Slater
GB News
Bleksley revealed: "For some years I've been hunting a fugitive from Liverpool called Kevin Powell, who's been on the run for 20 years, wanted for two murders, and I'm still working on that.
"And I have had a considerable number of sightings of him. At one point he was driving the number 63 buses in Altrincham, and on another occasion, he was going to the European Cup final to watch Liverpool, both of which, of course, were not true.
"In a case like this, and in recent cases, like the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, we've seen armchair sleuths who basically have zero detective experience, other than watching two episodes of Viera coming up with their theories based on very little knowledge, training and experience. It's unhelpful."
He continued: "Amongst all that drivel and traffic online, there might be a nugget that is useful. That's exactly what the family have said, haven't they just said, please don't get involved with your conspiracy theories because you're distracting from the investigation."