Firefighters scour hills for missing British teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife

Firefighters appeared to lead the majority of the search on the sixth day of the hunt for British teenager Jay Slater as they wore helmets to brave the dangerous hillside terrain in Tenerife.

Rescue teams, accompanied by sniffer dogs, set out on Saturday morning on a steep gravel track in Teno Rural Park, in the south of the island.

The search teams appeared to be significantly smaller than on other days – with only a handful of rescuers visible in and around the village of Masca.

Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, told the Manchester Evening News that police had “stepped up” their search efforts.

She told the newspaper: “We were there (at the police station) all day today (Friday), and I think things have been reinforced.

“We had a problem with the language barrier. It's difficult with the Spanish police and the British police; they must let the Spanish police lead the investigation.

“They (police) actually said there was too much noise – it was affecting the situation.

“They have all the plans, their locations.

“They have this map that they were showing us, all shaded in different colors.”

The 19-year-old man disappeared after trying to walk home after missing a bus.

He had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance.

The festival released a statement saying it could “provide some practical support” to Mr Slater’s family.

The statement read: “Having such a devastating situation occur has deeply affected us all.

“We have been able to provide practical support to Jay’s family members who came to Tenerife in such difficult circumstances, and we are inspired by their resilience and determination.”

The sixth day of searching began after the administrator of an official Facebook page set up to help find Mr Slater said someone had logged into his Instagram account who was not him.

Rachel Louise Harg said a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than £27,000, would be aimed at family and friends staying in Tenerife while the hunt continues.

Ms Harg said the people who “hacked” Mr Slater’s family’s social media accounts were “sick in the head”.

Lancashire Police said they had made “an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they required additional resources”, which was rejected by Spanish authorities.

Mr Slater is from the town of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, where specialist officers continue to support his family, the force said.

Police, firefighters and search and rescue personnel combed a large area in and around the village of Masca on Friday.

On Saturday, the main search areas appeared generally calm, but firefighters attempted to search the more difficult hillside terrain near Masca.

Helicopters, rescue dogs and drones were used to try to find the teenager, who was last heard from when he called his friend Lucy Law on Monday morning.

Officers have since been seen scanning the hillside and carefully observing the landscape through binoculars near its last known location, near the village of Masca.

The journey from Mr Slater's last known location to his accommodation would have taken around 11 hours on foot.

Footage released by the Guardia Civil on Thursday showed views from a helicopter as it traveled up the hillside.

The video, posted on the force's X account, showed officers searching bushes and overgrown land with dogs.

Ms Law, who attended the music festival with Mr Slater, said he called her around 8.30am on Monday and told her he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings , he desperately needed a drink and his phone.” was at 1%.

Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers and carrying a black bag.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities. »