Jay Slater cop dismisses video claims in search for missing teen in Tenerife

Prominent UK detective Mark Williams-Thomas, known for his appearances on TV shows like ITV's 'The Investigator', has dashed a fresh theory about the disappearance of teenage lad Jay Slater.

The Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire lad vanished without a trace on the popular Spanish holiday destination of Tenerife on June 17.

Despite official search operations wrapping up after 13 nerve-wracking days, others, including detective Williams-Thomas, haven't given up and continue to support the family in their pursuit for answers. The former cop has been documenting his findings and developments over in the Canary island since he landed there.

In a recent turn of events, the telly detective dispelled a budding theory that was born out of an unsettling video doing rounds on the internet, which saw claims that it featured Jay, as per Mirror.co.uk.

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However, Mr. Williams-Thomas is robust in his stance that the said video doesn't contain footage of the missing young man; rather, it precedes his disappearance by a significant time frame. He clarified: "Lots of people are contacting us about a distressing video that is circulating", reports Chronicle Live.

"The video was first posted on a social media site nine years ago and therefore cannot be Jay Slater."

June 17 marks the day when Jay dropped off radar post making contact with his companions.

Reports suggest he stayed at a rural Masca village Airbnb with two British lads before mysteriously vanishing around 8.50am en route to the popular tourist hotspot of Los Cristianos. This fresh info comes after Mr Williams-Thomas delved into the strange case of the 'pinched Rolex' once it was revealed Jay bragged on Snapchat about nicking a £12,000 Rolex just hours before going missing.

Mr Williams-Thomas explained further: "On route Jay posted a Snapchat saying that they had taken a £12,000 Rolex from a person. We have been unable to validate this in terms of a reported theft. However, friends of Jay he would not make this up and the watch was the subject of a later conversation between them."

The investigator also suggested that Jay might have felt uneasy when he left the holiday let where he was last seen, pointing out that the lad felt he couldn't go back to the rental even though it would have been a sound decision. The expert said: "We have received information that would suggest Jay left the rental property feeling scared and that he would not return to the rental, even though that would have been the most sensible course of action, and also where he could have charged his phone and got water."

Mr Williams-Thomas ruled out the possibility of abduction in Jay's case, despite his mother Debbie's fears that her son had been kidnapped. He elaborated: "We have no evidence at this stage to say there was any third-party criminal involvement in Jay's disappearance."

"However, there are still a number of outstanding actions and therefore we still remain open minded to the possibility of this changing. The evidence strongly supports that Jay walked off and was walking for at least 30 minutes off the road on a track before he last had contact with friends, with a very accurate location pin drop at 8.50am."

He also issued a plea: "I would make an appeal for landowners in the area of Teno Rural Park to check any outbuildings and land that they have and hope that some further searches will continue by volunteers in the area not yet searched."