Jay Slater missing: Teen was 'scared' when he left Tenerife Airbnb says ex-police detective

The former British police detective now assisting the family of missing teenager Jay Slater has suggested that the young man was frightened when he departed from the holiday rental where he was last seen.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a seasoned investigator known for his work on several high-profile missing persons cases, shared insights about the apprentice bricklayer's final known actions on Wednesday morning during a public briefing.

Moreover, the television investigator revealed that Jay, 19, had expressed an inability to return to the property, which was observed being inspected by two Spanish police officers wearing forensic-style blue shoe covers on Tuesday morning.

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Prior to his disappearance, Jay is thought to have visited the location with two older British men and was last spotted exiting the white-washed residence, known as Casa Abuela Tina, around 8am on June 17.

Mr Williams-Thomas, aged 54, 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," reports the Mirror.

He added: "He was told to go back to the rental. He said he could not do that and that he had already been walking 30 minutes and that he was now off the road and walking on a track, where there were loose stones."

Spanish authorities have indicated that the two Britons, who are believed to have been interviewed by officials prior to their departure from the island, are not considered relevant to the ongoing investigation into Jay's disappearance.

Mr Williams-Thomas, the lead investigator on the ITV Exposure documentary The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, has shed some light on Jay's actions shortly before he vanished. Allegedly posting a video on social media during their car ride to the rental property, Jay made claims about stealing a Rolex watch.

In a social media video statement today, Mr Williams-Thomas said: "En 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 [claim] he would not make this up and the watch was the subject of a later conversation between them."

He joined the search for Jay, hailing from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, after he contacted Jay's mother Debbie Duncan, 55, extending his assistance without charge which was accepted.

Travelling to the island on June 24, he was spotted making inquiries at the holiday rental along with the Papagayo nightclub where Jay was last seen before his disappearance.

He has also gained access to Jay's friends and family including close pals Brad Hargreaves, 19, and Lucy Mae Law, 18, who were both on holiday with Jay. He confirms maintaining consistent contact with Jay's family and updated them with a preliminary report of his investigations last week.

Jay was last seen departing the holiday let, situated over 20 miles and an 11-hour trek from the Los Cristianos flat where he was vacationing with friends Brad and Lucy. He phoned her at 8.30am, a mere 20 minutes before his mobile's final signal was detected near the La Cruz de Hilda lookout in Parque Rural de Teno.

Mr Williams-Thomas said: "I have spoken to lots of witnesses and have a clear picture of what happened overnight of Sunday 16th through to the morning of 17th June. We know that shortly before 6am on Monday 16th June Jay left the area of Veronica's Strip, Las Americas, in a Seat Leon hire car with two males casually known to him.

"Jay and a number of his friends had spent time with them on and off over the previous two days. All three males, including Jay, then travelled north via the main motorway, the TF-1, to go to the two males' holiday rental Casa Abuela Tina in Masca, which was about an hour away.

"Not long after arriving at the rental Jay, at around 7am, Jay had contact with various friends via social media both inside and outside the rental.

"During these calls various video chats were had and pictures sent, including the one he took on the doorstep, which they are confident is him, wearing a throw or blanket from the apartment and his black and green Air Max trainers that he had gone out in that night.

"We know around 0800 there was a level of communication with the host of the rental property in which she communicated via hand digits to him that the bus would leave at 10am from the bus stop by the apartment. With this, Jay walked off turning left and up the hill.

"Jay had an Apple iPhone. Apple Maps takes you that route if walking back to Los Cristianos, where he was staying. We know then at 8.49am and 8.50am Jay sent his location via both Snapchat and WhatsApp to two friends. We can confirm that it was Jay using his phone at this stage.

"The location was fixed by GPS and we have done tests in that area and it is accurate to five to 10 metres. The fixed point is the Barranco Juan Lopez hiking path which fits the description given by the witnesses that spoke to him stating that he was on a stony path. From this point no further contact is had with Jay because his phone battery dies and there have been no confirmed sightings of him."

Mr Williams-Thomas says he has ruled out that Jay has been kidnapped, despite his mum Debbie previously saying she believed that was what had happened to him, as he says "no credible ransom demand has been made". He added: "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.

"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."

Mr Williams-Thomas stated he keeps regular communication with Jay's family and has briefed them about today's statement. He said: "I have largely remained silent to date with our investigation, not giving any interviews, but have felt the need to make a clear statement of facts, which I have advised the family I would be doing today."

"This has been done as I hope it will enable people to accept the evidential facts and thus reduce the number of inaccurate information that is being published and circulated."

"You will appreciate that as part of our investigation we have spoken to a significant number of witnesses, including Jay's friends, who have fully engaged with us and as such we have received a significant amount of both personal and sensitive information which we will not be releasing."

He further stated: "It is now into the 16th day since 19-year Jay Slater vanished. In that time his disappearance has attracted worldwide media attention and as such extensive coverage on social media.

"This has led to massive speculation, with theories at times very misleading and with inaccurate information. Overwhelmingly people are fascinated and as such want to do their bit to help, whether that be doing their own detective work or just providing comment

"What people often lose sight of, don't consider, and I am sure for a few, don't care, is that Jay's family and close friends read a lot of the media and some comments have been so unfair and unkind to a family who right now are in total shock and despair.

"Please just think before you post, and if you would not say it about your missing loved one then don't say or post it now."