Yahoo News Jay Slater: 'I just feel so sorry for his mum - she must be going through hell'
The thoughts of people in Accrington remain with Jay Slater's family after police called off the official search.
Speaking to LancsLive on a busy market day, many shoppers on the streets of Accrington spoke of their disbelief that 19-year-old Jay still hadn't been found. He was last heard from on June 17 when he is said to have called his friend Lucy who he had travelled to Tenerife with for the the three-day NRG music festival.
Over the weekend Spanish police declared they found no evidence of criminal activity related to Jay's disappearance and had called off the official search. Jay's family, including mum Debbie, dad Warren and older brother Zak remain in Tenerife.
READ MORE: Jay Slater's parents hold desperate talks with police a day after search called off
Several shoppers in Accrington highlighted the "tasteless and downright disgraceful" comment posted on the Bees Knees' Facebook page which likened to the chances of Jay never "coming home" to the prospects of the English football team.
Bosses at the town centre bar have issued an apology and said that an outsourced social media company had made the post after contracting them to improve their online presence. They have since donated £1,000 to the official GoFundMe page which has now raised just shy of £50,000.
"It was really bad what they put," Barbara, who has owned a stall on Accrington Market for 27 years, said. "They should keep out of it unless they're related to him. I do think there's a lot more to him going missing.
"It all seems to have gone a bit quiet now they've called off the search but I'm sure his family and friends will keep looking for him."
Ian Potter fears that Jay "has been taken". "It's very strange that nothing has turned up," he added. "There's been all sorts of rumours and you would have expected them to find him by now.
"They were searching the mountains but if he was making his way back to where he was staying then why would he go off the road?
"There's been this really extensive search but nothing has been found. I do think he's been taken. It's hard to know what to believe but if he was out there somewhere surely they would have found him by now."
Ian's wife Linda said her thoughts were with Jay's mum Debbie. "His mum and the family must be going through hell and I feel so sorry for her," Linda said.
"I really hope they do find him. I can't imagine what it'll be like if he just never turns up. He's a bonny lad, poor thing."
Teenagers Jacob and George, who met Jay but isn't a friend, said that a lot of people had been talking about his disappearance.
"It's a small town isn't it so everyone is friends with everyone," George added. "I met him once because my dad's girlfriend's son went to primary school with him but I don't really know him."
