Oswaldtwistle community unites in hope for missing Jay Slater as town turns sea of blue

Oswaldtwistle has been turned blue with a sea of ribbons as the community unites in hope behind the family of missing Jay Slater.

People living near the teenager's home have rallied together to show their support for his family and friends as a major search operation continues in Tenerife. The apprentice bricklayer travelled from the East Lancashire town to the Spanish island for a music festival with his two friends Lucy and Bradley.

He was last heard from at around 8am on Monday (June 17) when he told Lucy his phone had 1% battery and he needed water. As the search for missing teenager Jay Slater enters its fifth day, teams will once again continue to scour the area in and around Masca and the Teno Rural Park in the hopes of finding him.

READ MORE:

• Missing Jay Slater seen 'walking alone' by locals before vanishing in Tenerife

• Tenerife holiday home where Jay Slater took final photo before he vanished without a trace

In Jay's hometown, there was a sombre feeling on Thursday as residents Tracy and Gemma were putting up blue ribbons around the village of Oswaldtwistle to raise awareness for Jay. Several spoke to LancsLive's sister title the ECHO, with one resident who lives just doors away from Jay's family home saying: "Everyone is talking about Jay, everybody.

"A lot of people know him, I knew his mum, all my family know them. I have joined the Facebook group [there are official Facebook groups online searching for Jay] and I look at it every 15 minutes for an update. I have his mum's best friend on Facebook and she keeps us updated.

"As far as I know he is a normal lad who went to a festival. He needs water, it's warm enough here today that I'm sat here with a glass of water. I'm so sorry and it's so sad and all's we can do is pray."

A few doors down, Hazel appeared teary as she told how she knew Jay and his mum Debbie very well. She said: "I have watched him grow up over the years, I have lived on this street 16 years and they have lived here much longer than I have.

"I know his mum, his grandma was friends with my mum - my mum texted me last night and said 'I hope they find him.' I have watched him grow up, he is a grand lad, a smashing lad, no problems.

"I am going to get family a card today and there are prayers on at the church down the road tonight. We can't search for him so we are just doing prayers and thinking about him.

"He is a lovely lad and the family are lovely. We have turned Facebook blue for him. His mum is out there."

One neighbour, Louise, who has known Jay since he was a little boy, lost her own daughter when she was Jay's age. She says she knows the pain Debbie must be feeling right now. She said: "I saw what happened on the news. I feel so sorry for Debbie [Jay’s mum], I lost my daughter when she was 19 and the worry of it, my heart goes out to her because I know how she feels.

"I knew him when he was little. Debbie is a great person, Millie [Louise’s daughter who she sadly lost] loved her so my heart goes out to her.

"I know how she is feeling, it is heart-breaking. I think about her every day since it happened, I hope he comes home healthy and safe to her soon."

Another resident, Amelia, said: "I know his mum Debbie, we call her Avon Debbie because she used to do the Avon. I hadn't seen him [Jay] for a while, it must have been around two months at least, he used to walk up the street with his friend.

"It's incredibly sad. My daughter told me it was Debbie's son, I didn't know, that was the first time I found out. It's so sad, he is so young."

Her granddaughter, Lisa, added: "In the group they said they found a new lead, but that is all we know. I didn't click that he lived on the street. You go out and you don't think, in a 19-year-old brain partying with their friends and they have met those people and gone off in the middle of nowhere. I've done it myself.

"I'm friends with Bradley's mum who is an admin on the Facebook page and who he went over there with."

Tracy and Gemma were putting up blue ribbons around the village of Oswaldtwistle to raise awareness for Jay. Tracey said: "I'm doing this to show support. God knows what his mum is going through, there is not a lot else we can do except raise awareness.

"There is a service going ahead at 7.30pm tonight in the church, people are gathering for prayers and to show support to raise more awareness. We just want to give support to the family, that is all we can do. Someone just may know someone out there in Tenerife, you just don't know.

"I have known his mum for quite some time, we see each other in passing, she just lives up the road. They have lived here for as long as I've known them.

"I didn't know Jay, I just know Debbie is a wonderful person. She is a lovely, lovely person. He is a 19-year-old lad who has his whole world ahead of him.

"We will wake up one morning and read that he has been found. It's a very good community here, everyone has rallied round to support."

Mum Gemma, who is a family friend, knows Debbie and Jay "very well," she said: "I'm a family friend, I know them very well. I just want anyone who knows anything to come forward and get him home. He was a typical, good lad, who was 19-year-old.

"My daughter is going to help with the ribbons after school, this is all we can do. I wish we could all fly out there to help search but we can't. My daughter doesn't want to school she wants to stay and help with the ribbons."

One resident said "Jay is a great lad. He is my grandson's best mate. I know him very well."

Another said: "It's horrible. I've only seen him walking about with his little dog, but it's so sad."