Fundraiser for Jay Slater passes £30k in two days as GoFundMe makes pledge

A GoFundMe page set up to support the family of missing teen Jay Slater has generated £30,000 from generous and concerned people in just two days. The fundraiser has already reached its goal already - while the search for the teen continues.

The fundraising effort was initiated by Lucy Mae, a friend of Jay's and the last person he communicated with before his disappearance in Tenerife last Monday. However, it has been dogged by conspiracies that the money won't go to the family.

Since its inception, over 2,900 individuals have contributed to the cause and extended their well wishes to his family, with the page hitting its £30,000 target at 3pm today. On the site, Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, expressed her gratitude to all who had donated for their 'generosity and kindness during this difficult time'.

Read more: Three striking elements of Jay's AirBNB

She added: "I just wanted to confirm that this is the only GoFundMe fundraiser approved by our family.

"We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves. The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page.

"We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay. Please continue to share our fundraiser far and wide. Your support means the world to us, and we are grateful for any help you can provide."

What do GoFundMe say?

GoFundMe responded to online conspiracies about where the money was going. In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Our hearts go out to Jay Slater, his family and everyone else concerned about his disappearance. All campaigns are under review and no money will be transferred unless we can verify it goes straight to his family.

"At moments like this, we often see people set up campaigns to benefit strangers when they are moved to help. That is why we work with organisers to ensure any money donated goes to the right place.

"GoFundMe has a dedicated Trust & Safety team reviewing all relevant fundraisers. In addition to the team of experts, we deploy proprietary technical tools and have multiple processes in place to verify the identity of organizers and the recipient of the fundraiser.

"Before money is transferred, an individual or organisation's information, including their banking information, must be verified."