Former Met Police officer says Spanish cops have made one 'error' in search for Jay Slater

Peter Bleksley, a former detective with Scotland Yard, fears that the Spanish Guardia Civil may be overlooking crucial evidence in their search for missing British teenager Jay Slater. The 19 year old from Lancashire vanished after attending a music festival in Tenerife on Monday, June 17th.

His last known communication was with friends when he said he was hours away from where he was staying with barely any battery left on his phone. Bleksley voiced his concerns to Express.co.uk saying: "Guardia Civil believe he's wandered into very tricky terrain with ravines, gullies, caves and cacti as sharp as razors.

"They are sticking to that theory. We've seen nothing to indicate they are considering other options at this stage. They have to keep all options open."

Read more Jay Slater's best friend shares worrying video call on morning he went missing

As the search extends into its twelfth day, there is a growing concern that needless focus on one possibility might slow down the hunt for Jay.

Mr Bleksley voiced a stark warning that if the absent person theory is debunked, Jay's grieving family will seek answers. He stressed that while he also considers it a missing person scenario, resources should not be diluted from exploring other possible leads.

He pointed out the notable absence of forensic experts in the case and the lack of witness interviews. Mr Bleksley added: "If there's a completely different story to this, forensic opportunities are probably gone forever."

He's not the only one questioning the police's approach. Eighteen year old Lucy Mae Law has called upon UK authorities to contribute to the search for her best friend.

She expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts to locate the trainee bricklayer, criticising Spanish law enforcement for declining assistance from British officers. Exasperated by the language barrier and what she perceives as inaction, she said: "We are having to do this all by ourselves as Spanish police are not doing a good enough job. They don't even speak English. It's been a very slow process here so we need the British police to come out and help them."