Spanish police had to be "discreet" in Jay Slater search over fears of tiktok detectives
A body was discovered near the village of Masca yesterday.
Last updated 16th Jul 2024
Spanish police investigating the disappearance of Lancashire teen Jay Slater have said they had to be "discreet" in their searches, over fears that tiktok detectives could become involved.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, disappeared whilst on holiday in Tenerife just over four weeks ago.
A body was found yesterday, near to his last known location.
The search for the teen was seemingly called off on the 30 July, although it is now emerging that a discrete search and rescue operation continued after that date.
Authorities on the island say they carried out covert searches for the 19-year-old from Lancashire because amateur detectives were compromising the investigation.
Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.
He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca after a night out, but the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled "not relevant" to the case.
LBT Global, which supports the families of British people missing overseas, said: "LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater.
"It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone's last location.
"Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater's possessions and clothes.
"A post-mortem examination and forensic enquiries will follow.
"LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news."
His family endured conspiracy theories and "awful comments" being posted online during the search for the apprentice bricklayer, but supporters had raised over £54,000 to help fund the hunt for the teenager.
Tenerife's Guardia Civil say that officers are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to confirm that Mr Slater died as a result of an accident.