Jay Slater's pals Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves fly back to UK after quitting search

Two of Jay Slater's closest friends have left Tenerife and returned to the UK as the mystery surrounding the teen's disappearance continues.

It has been now been over three weeks since 19-year-old Jay went missing on the island of Tenerife on June 17. He had been enjoying a holiday with pals Lucy Law, 18, and Brad Hargreaves, 19, and was last seen partying at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas on the night before he was reported missing.

Both of his pals have now departed from the Canary Islands and are back on British soil. Lucy is said to have made her way back to the UK last week, while Brad returned this past Sunday, alongside his mum Rachel, who remains actively involved in the search through a Facebook page she manages. At present, the Hargreaves family have chosen not to make any statements, reports Manchester Evening News.

Meanwhile, as search efforts to find Jay continue in Tenerife, several cruel armchair detectives have continued to share their own theories about the teen's disappearance online, with several heartlessly calling into question his pal Lucy's account of what happened the day he went missing.

According to the 18-year-old, Lucy was the last known person to speak to Jay who told her he was lost, thirsty and had 1 per cent phone battery, before vanishing without trace on the Spanish holiday island. However, despite local cops accepting this story, many trolls online did not, with several taking to social media to criticise and hound the teenager.

As a result, Lucy went on to deactivate her facebook account, but earlier this week she did make a brief return to social media following her return home.

Taking to Instagram, Lucy posted a cryptic message which fuelled more mystery among those following the case closely, as she posted a selfie of her and Jay along with a crying emoji and a blue love heart But, this has since been removed.

Jay's uncle, Glen Duncan, who has expressed disappointment with the efforts to find his nephew, is also believed to have flown back to the UK on Tuesday, July 10.

In a previous statement to Sky News from Santiago del Teide, a rural town, he conveyed the family's "despair" but affirmed their continued hope in locating the missing teen, reports the Mirror.

"So far we've just been in touch with the British consulate out here who have been saying it's still a live investigation, we have just got to sit tight," he commented. "It's just adding to the despair really."

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after leaving a rave in Tenerife with two British men and spending the night at an Airbnb in a remote village. It was his first trip abroad.

He was last in contact on Monday, June 17, while trying to return to Los Christianos, where he was holidaying with friends Lucy and Brad.

What's the latest on the search for Jay Slater?

Authorities confirmed yesterday that multiple avenues are still being explored in the investigation, despite rumours suggesting he is 'missing feared dead'.

When questioned about progress in the case, a Civil Guard spokesperson stated: "The investigation is ongoing and several lines of inquiry are being pursued."

In a heartening show of community support, it was reported that a mountaineering mayor has joined the efforts to find the 19 year old.

Shane Yerrell, 40, alongside Jay's father Warren, 58, brother Zak, 24, and other relatives and friends, scoured the area where Jay was last seen over the weekend.

Yerrell is committed to continuing his support for Jay's family, including his distraught mum Debbie, 55, and plans to return to the island to aid the search effort.

Shane, the mayor of Waltham Abbey in Essex and a veteran mountaineer with past conquests such as Kilimanjaro and Mount Olympus under his belt, expressed lament, saying: "They're just living on hope. It's awful - they've got no answers. They don't know whether Jay is alive or dead."

When asked if Jay's parents still nurture hopes of his survival, Shane confirmed: "Of course. I would be exactly the same. Until you know for sure..."

Shane flew over 2,000 miles from his home in Essex to Tenerife last Thursday after getting in touch with Jay's family and offering his assistance, which was readily accepted.

Since 2011, Shane has been instrumental in aiding several families in distress and has managed to raise nearly £200,000 to assist people in need.

Despite the lack of any sightings of the teen, one missing persons expert, Charlie Hedges, offered the family a glimmer of hope.

Charlie advised that not all is lost, revealing the missing teen could still be alive if he's managed to sustain himself on rainwater and plants.

The reassurance came after army reservist Juan García criticised Spanish cops for calling off the search too soon. Search professional García told The Times:

"Two weeks is too premature to end the search. [Slater] could be alive somewhere — someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope." Reflecting on this theory during a separate interview with The Sun, ex-detective Hedges remarked: "It's certainly possible.

"I think it's important to let the investigation keep all lines of inquiry open until they're proven to be not viable. It is quite a long time to survive without food. Depends on how much rain there is, as to whether there's sufficient water."

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