Jay Slater's friends claim he 'stole £12k Rolex before vanishing in Tenerife'

Missing Jay Slater allegedly told friends he stole a £12,000 Rolex the night before he disappeared. The 19-year-old has been missing for more than two weeks after disappearing while on holiday in Tenerife.

Questions have been raised over claims a man complained Jay had a stolen Rolex on the night of Sunday, June 16 - the day before he vanished. It was not initially clear whether the Rolex was connected to Jay's case.

But detective Mark Williams-Thomas has now appeared to have confirmed an apparent connection as he revealed previously unreported details about Jay's movements before disappearing. The former officer is known for his work on the Nicola Bulley case last year and travelled out to Tenerife last week to help Jay's family.

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He has since reported back his preliminary findings to mum Debbie Duncan, Mirror reports. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday, Mr Williams-Thomas provided more details to stop people 'filling the void' with harmful and hurtful speculation.

He said: "We know that shortly before 6am on Monday the seventh of June, Jay left the area of Veronica Strip in [Playa de] 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 both over the previous two days.

"All three males including Jay travelled north by the main motorway, the TF1, to go to the two males' holiday rental, Casa de Abuela Tina, which was about an hour's drive away. On route, Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had stolen a £12,000 Rolex from a person.

"We've been unable to validate this in terms of reporting. However, friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject to later conversation between the friends."

Jay - from Lancashire - had been at the NRG music festival when he left with two men he had met and travelled to the north of the island. He is understood to have stayed with the two men at a remote Airbnb.

He called his friend on June 17 to say he was lost, needed a drink and had one per cent battery left on his phone. His phone soon died but is said to have pinged in the Rural de Teno park.

The search for Jay was called off on Sunday, June 30, after teams spent two weeks hunting for him. The Guardia Civil has insisted it is continuing to follow leads and any tip-offs.

Mr Williams-Thomas said Jay contacted three different people after going back to the AirBnb. A number of pictures were taken, including the Snapchat image showing him holding a cigarette on the cottage's doorstep.

He said: "I am confident that the photo on the doorstep is him, wearing a throw from the apartment and black and green Air Max trainers which he had on, on the night he went out."

Mr Williams-Thomas claimed Jay left the property 'scared' and did not want to go back to charge his phone or wait for a bus after leaving. He added: "We’ve received information that would suggest Jay left the rental property feeling scared."