A former Met Police detective has pinpointed a key issue with the Guardia Civil’s search for missing British teenager Jay Slater. Peter Bleksley said it appeared Spanish police weren’t shifting from the theory that Jay, 19, wandered into difficult terrain in Tenerife and got lost.
He told Express.co.uk: “[Guardia Civil] believe he’s wandered into very tricky terrain with ravines, gullies, caves and cactii as sharp as razors.
“They are sticking to that theory. We’ve seen nothing to indicate they are considering other options at this stage… They have to keep all options open.”
Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared while trying to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus from the village of Masca to Los Cristianos.
The apprentice bricklayer had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends. He is believed to have then travelled to Masca before his disappearance and was last heard from on Monday last week.
The walk from Mr Slater’s last known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot.
Mr Bleksley warned if the missing person theory was eventually disproved then Jay’s desperate family will demand answers. He explained while he too believes it is a missing persons case, resources should still be dedicated to pursuing other lines of enquiry.
He noted that reports suggest forensics officers haven’t been involved in the case and witnesses not been quizzed. Mr Bleksley added: “If there’s a completely different story to this, forensic opportunities are probably gone forever.”
The former Scotland Yard detective explained there is a “golden” period where crucial clues can be uncovered in the hours after someone is reported as missing. After that relatively short window, vital evidence can deteriorate, leaving no trace.
The search for Mr Slater is now in its tenth day, with teams scouring parts of Tenerife’s Rural de Teno Park and the village of Masca, where Jay was last seen.
Mr Bleksley said while the Spanish police appear to have “put all their eggs in one basket”, officers in Tenerife will know more than they are stating in public.
He said: “There’s possibly a raft of information they will not make public, especially if in a manhunt in a criminal case. That’s understandable. There’s so much they might know that they don’t want the public to be aware of.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Guardia Civil for comment.
