Jay Slater: Police in Tenerife investigating major new lead, say reports

Tenerife police are reportedly investigating a new lead in the baffling case of missing British teenager Jay Slater. The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after attempting to walk back to his accommodation on June 17. He had been at the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before he went missing, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, roughly an 11-hour trek from where he was staying.

Officers are now said to be investigating allegations of a nightclub fight over a stolen Rolex in the hours leading up to the teen's disappearance. A scuffle broke out outside Papagayo Beach Club - where Jay was seen partying - involving a man who claimed his Rolex watch had been stolen, it's been reported. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.

It's unclear how this incident might be linked to Jay's disappearance, but one friend suggested he could've gone to search for the watch. Police are now said to be examining CCTV and security camera footage. This new theory comes as Spanish police have called for expert volunteers to assist in a new major search, starting at 9am (local time) in the village of Masca, close to his last-known location. The search is planned to cover a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths, reports Birmingham Live.

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The Guardia Civil has issued an appeal for volunteers, including firefighters and those experienced in navigating challenging landscapes, to participate in the large-scale "busqueda masiva" or 'massive search', as day 13 unfolds in the relentless quest to locate the vanished apprentice bricklayer.

Brad Hargreaves recounted to ITV's This Morning the moments preceding his friend's mysterious vanishing, revealing that he was conversing with Mr Slater via video call at the time. "He was on the phone walking down a road and he'd gone over a little bit not a big drop but a tiny little drop and he was going down, and he said 'I'll ring ya back, I'll ring ya back' because I think someone else was ringing him."

Mr Hargreaves further described how he saw his mate's feet "sliding" down a slope and could hear the crunch of gravel, although they managed to find humour in the situation at the time. Despite the serious nature of the incident, he maintained a hopeful outlook: "He didn't seem concerned on the phone until we knew how far away he was." On the show, he conveyed his persistent optimism, "praying" earnestly for Mr Slater to be found unharmed.