Jay Slater's mother reveals 'agony' in new statement after police end search for missing teen

Jay Slater's mother has spoken of her “pain and agony” in a new statement after Spanish police ended their search for the missing teenager.

Debbie Duncan thanked the Guardia Civil who have “worked tirelessly in the mountains where Jay's last phone call was traced” and who continue to investigate why Mr Slater travelled so far from his home in Tenerife.

She said that despite their efforts over the past 12 days, the family has no further information on his whereabouts.

In a statement released by the UK charity LBT Global, she said: “My son, Jay Dean Slater, arrived on the island of Tenerife on 13th June with his friend to attend a music festival. On 17th June, after failing to return to his apartment, he was reported missing.

“Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a wide circle of friends.

“We are a very close family and we are absolutely devastated by his loss. Words cannot describe the pain and agony we feel. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want him back.

“We have no information on his whereabouts. The Guardia Civil worked tirelessly in the mountains where Jay's last phone call was traced. They conducted a field search for 12 days, mobilizing all the resources at their disposal.

“Although the search for the land has been completed, the Spanish police are still investigating why Jay went to a place so far from his home.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow up on the leads in the investigation.”

Ms Duncan also referred to false rumours that spread on social media following Mr Slater's disappearance.

She added: “We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites and can only describe this as despicable, the negative comments are extremely distressing for our family.

“We also acknowledge the love and support we have received from around the world. This has not gone unnoticed, particularly in his hometown of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

“As a family, we would like the world to respect our privacy at this time.”

On Friday, the Civil Guard had called on volunteer associations, such as firefighters and individual volunteers with expertise in rough terrain, to participate in a “busqueda masiva” (massive search) on Saturday.

The search in the village of Masca, near his last known location, focused on a rocky and steep area, including ravines, trails and paths.

He had checked into an Airbnb in Masca and the two men who allegedly rented the property were later deemed “irrelevant” in the case, according to reports.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew to Tenerife last week after claiming he could solve the mystery behind the 19-year-old's disappearance within three days.

He said: “We still have a number of actions pending, but we have given the family a preliminary breakdown of the results. Given the end of the police search, I have suggested to the family that they use the GoFundMe money to continue the search by engaging search experts.

“I am appealing again, if you have any 'direct information' after speaking to Jay or anyone who was with him during the night of 16-17 June and with whom you have not yet been in contact, please do so.”