Former British cop who claims he can get answers 'in three days' lands in Tenerife to investigate Jay Slater case

A former British investigator has landed in Tenerife to help with the search for missing teenager Jay Slater.

Mark Williams-Thomas - who has claimed he can get Jay's family answers in as little as three days - has worked on several high profile cases, including the disappearance of Nicola Bulley in January 2023.

Jay, 19, from Lancashire, went missing on 17 June in Tenerife after attending the New Rave Generation festival.

The last person to hear from Jay was his friend Lucy, who said that he had phoned her at around 8.50am on the Monday morning, saying he was lost in a mountainous area of the island, he needed a drink and his phone was only on one percent.

It is believed that Jay left the festival in the early hours of Monday morning with two men, before travelling to an Airbnb in the Masca region of Tenerife.

His family have been frantic in their efforts to find him, telling news outlets that they believe he could have been ‘taken against his will’.

With the search now entering its second week, Mark has offered his help to the family.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Mark explained that he would be able to get to the bottom of the case in as little as 72 hours.

"I would quickly be able to establish whether or not there are suspicious circumstances - but I'd need total access to everything and to speak to all the witnesses involved," he said.

"Having feet on the ground and looking at the scenario and circumstances, I know I will get to the bottom of this in three days.

"If the family work with me, I will get the answers. It is crucial for the family. It is difficult for them, to deal with foreign police who handle it differently.

"But I'd need their full cooperation, I'd need to speak to every witness involved; those that he's been with since he's been on the island. Some people will be more persons of interest than others.

"It's a week on now - I need to get on the ground and get the answers. It's about finding Jay.

"I come with credibility, will work with them and the Spanish police, and get them the answers they need. We need to establish what the involvement is with these two guys [he stayed with], why he went back to the Airbnb and then why just left?

"The chances of him wandering off are possible, but is there more to this?"

Brief update : Jay Slater’s family clearly struggling with all the media interest and attention , have switched off all phones and cut contact . I am awaiting to speak to mum later today , but have had a response from close relative that mum is keen to accept my team’s help.… pic.twitter.com/0yBnV6eaTa

— Mark Williams-Thomas (@mwilliamsthomas) June 24, 2024

On Monday (24 June) morning, Mark confirmed that the family were keen to accept his help. He has since been spotted on the island.

He posted on X: "Jay Slater’s family clearly struggling with all the media interest and attention, have switched off all phones and cut contact.

"I am awaiting to speak to mum later today, but have had a response from close relative that mum is keen to accept my team’s help.

"Having worked with many families at crisis point when a loved one goes missing the family become the eye of the storm and it’s very very tough for them to manage all the enquiries on top of there own stress & worry."

The news comes after Jay's mum released a statement after the GoFundMe set up for her son reached its £30,000 target.

As the search continues, some people online have raised questions over the fund and how the money will be used.

Writing on the page, she said: "I wanted to confirm that this is the only GoFundMe fundraiser approved by our family. "We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves.

"The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page.

"We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay. Please continue to share our fundraiser far and wide. Your support means the world to us, and we are grateful for any help you can provide. Thank you again."