Five unanswered Jay Slater questions Tenerife police are trying to solve

The desperate search to find missing Jay Slater is continuing into its seventh day. The apprentice bricklayer has not been seen since the morning of Monday, June 17.

Jay, 19, was on holiday in Tenerife when he vanished. Despite a huge search on the Spanish island, he is yet to be found.

It is understood he was last seen walking alone as he left a rental property for what is an 11-walk on foot back to his accommodation. His path back to the south of the island would have taken him through rugged, isolated terrain.

READ MORE: Amazon 'could charge £7.99 for next-generation Alexa capable of near-human-like conversations'

Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here.

The final known location of his phone was at Rural de Teno Park, a mountainous nature reserve where search teams have ramped up their efforts. But his movements after about 8.30am on Monday are unknown, Express reports.

Family and friends have flown out to Tenerife in a bid to help the search. Here we look at some of the unanswered questions surrounding his disappearance.

1. Who was the mystery person his mum said had been spotted with him?

Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan, 55, said someone claimed to have spotted her son walking with two men on the evening of Monday, June 17. Jay was last seen that morning asking about a bus back to the south of Tenerife.

Debbie said: "Somebody has come forward to say they saw someone who they thought was Jay walking back down the road sat on a bench. He was with two men looking a bit worse for wear, and they were by a church, this guy has come forward and told the police about it and they are looking into it.

"We don't know if it was Jay for sure, but it's a start. They said it was about 6pm which is ten hours after he was seen by the lady in the village. But if it was him what was he doing there and who are these two men?"

2. Where did he go after he was last spotted?

The last location has been traced to Rural del Teno, a mountainous area in the west of the island. The closest town is Santiago del Teide.

Jay had been staying on the south of the island in an apartment with friends. It is understood he had phoned a friend and said he was lost but was attempting to make the 11-hour hike back.

Friend Lucy told the Manchester Evening News: "He's gone on a night out, he's gone to a friend's house, someone that he has met on holiday. One of the people he has met has hired a car out of here, so he's driven them back to his apartment and Jay has gone there not realising how far away it is.

"He's ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there."

3. Is there any reason why he could have been kidnapped?

Jay’s mum Debbie believes her soon could have been 'bundled off'. She questioned how the apprentice bricklayer could have got lost in such a busy area.

Debbie said: "But if he is lost then why hasn't anyone seen him? It's busy with hikers and holidaymakers up there so if he was lost then someone would have seen him, so that's why I think maybe he's been bundled off somewhere."

Debbie also told how twisted Brits with 'northern accents' had been phoning her on hidden numbers, claiming they had her son and were keeping him because he owed them money. Police have been unable to verify if Jay is being held captive.

4. Why didn't Jay wait for a bus or make other travel arrangements?

According to friend Lucy, Jay met with two other men. One of them drove Jay in his hire car to another part of the island.

The teen then missed his bus back, finding himself in the rural, mountainous area as he attempted to make the return journey on foot. His phone died around 8.50am, with his last known location registered near a hiking trail, several hundred feet above the small village of Masca.

Lucy received a call from Jay on Monday morning, saying he was attempting a long walk back through a mountainous area after spending the night with other friends. He told her he was thirsty and his phone battery was at one per cent.

5. Has Jay left the country?

Authorities are yet to confirm any intelligence suggesting Jay has left Tenerife entirely. But this is unlikely to be the case.

The nature reserve, Rural del Teno, is remote, rural, and lacks the infrastructure for Jay to have reached an airport quickly. The rental property where Jay stayed before vanishing is 'miles from civilisation' according to Manchester Evening News.

Mum Debbie also said she has Jay's passport. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."