Jay Slater's surprise Coronation Street connection as star 'prays' for safe return

Former Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle has shared a heart-breaking post on social media as she used his celebrity status to help the search effort to track down missing teenager Jay Slater, following his disappearance in Tenerife. The actress, who famously played cobbles favourite Janice Battersby is a close friend of the family and wanted to use her platform to share details of Jay’s last sighting in the hope of bringing him safely home.

Sharing a missing poster online, Vicky wrote: "My God Mother’s Grandson has gone missing. His Mother has flown out 7pm. To join the police search. Hope to God they find him. Please pray for him."

The 19-year-old from Lancashire, vanished on Monday after visiting the Spanish island to attend a music festival. In the run up to his disappearance, Jay had spent Sunday evening partying at a rave before heading off with two lads he had just met to continue drinking at their apartment in “the middle of nowhere.”

READ MORE: Jay Slater missing in Tenerife LIVE updates as desperate search for teen continues

On his way back to his accommodation the following morning, Jay’s last known contact was when he phoned a friend at 8am on Monday morning to say he was lost, in need of water and only had 1 per cent of battery remaining on his phone.

Since then, the teen’s battery ran out of power, with his last location tracked to Teno Rural Park in the north-west of Tenerife near to a popular hiking spot.

Immediately after Vicky had shared the post, fans flocked to the comments section to offer their messages of support, with one writing: "Saw this on Facebook Vicky, it seems to be getting shared far and wide, hopefully there will be some good news imminently with all the love and support out there, just makes it so much harder when abroad! Love and prayers for you all.”

A second fan also weighed in adding: "We are in Tenerife if we can help in any way let us know.”

Since the alarm was sounded on Monday, a Facebook group to share updates on the search for Jay has amassed almost 100,000 members, with several planning to join search efforts due to resume on Wednesday morning.

This follows on from earlier searches conducted by local authorities, including those specialising in remote and mountain searches, as well as the deployment of drones and a helicopter to try and track down the teen.

A Civil Guard spokeswoman in Tenerife said the force was desperately trying to find Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, with the help of mountain rescue teams and police helicopters.

She said: "A specialist Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group called the Greim have been mobilised. A police helicopter is also out and focusing on the area around the village of Masca.

"Other emergency services including firefighters have also been mobilised. Everything possible is being done to try to find the missing man."