Jay Slater's friends say missing teen DID steal £12,000 Rolex before vanishing

Jay Slater's pals have said the missing British teen DID steal a £12k Rolex before disappearing. Detective Mark Williams-Thomas has confirmed Jay aged 19, had allegedly told friends he'd stolen a £12000 Rolex watch from someone while out on the strip in Tenerife.

Mark 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." Mark said: "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."

READ MORE Jay Slater fled Airbnb feeling 'scared' after 'admitting stealing £12k Rolex'

The detective, who is out in the Canary Islands helping the search for the apprentice bricklayer, who hails from Lancashire, went on and said: "However, friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject to later conversation between the friends."

“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," Mark - who was involved in the hunt for Nicola Bulley last February - added.

Mark claimed Jay had left the property "scared" and did not want to go back to charge his phone and wait for a bus after leaving. “We’ve received information that would suggest Jay left the rental property feeling scared," said the detective.

“He would not return to the rental even though that would have been the most sensible course of action. We continue to investigate this aspect”.