Missing Jay Slater's dad calls for UK police involvement as disappearance 'doesn't make sense'

Dad Warren Slater has expanded his personal search for his missing son, Jay Slater. Three weeks ago today, Jay disappeared in Tenerife.

Joined by Zak, Jay's brother, and a small group, they embarked on a hike through the valleys adjacent to where the 19 year old was last sighted. However, an exasperated Warren admitted that it would need a military force ten years to comb over the tough mountain landscape.

In two unsuccessful attempts to seek out abandoned buildings that might be harbouring Jay, Warren found himself on "two wild goose chases". He aired his grievances about the local authorities scrutinising the incident and called on British law enforcement to offer their assistance and support to the family.

• Read more: Renewed hope in Jay Slater search as 'hunters and dogs' set to flood area he went missing
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The petite search squad, having dedicated the morning hours to probing the mountains in the Los Carrizales Valley, took a respite for lunch in the Santiago del Teidi village before heading back up into the hilly territory. Moving on from Barranco de Juan Lopez Valley, near Masca village where the last signal from Jay's phone was picked up.

Warren divulged: "I've been through 80% of that valley, so we went further along. We've drove and we've walked down the path at the next village, up the mountain there's a viewpoint that looks down, you can either follow the road, but we didn't, we parked up and walked down.", reports the Mirror.

Warren expressed his confusion and concern, stating: "It doesn't make sense, he's either hid himself, but why would he hide himself? Or he's just ....? ".

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, hailing from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, vanished on the Spanish island on June 17. He was last seen departing an Airbnb in the north of the island, near the village of Masca.

The young lad, who was enjoying a holiday with friends Lucy, aged 18, and 19 year old Brad Hargreaves, had earlier been celebrating at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas.

He exited the venue alongside two British men to return to their accommodation. Warren revealed that the family has not received any updates from the Spanish authorities in recent days and is urging for British law enforcement to question the two men who accompanied Jay back to the Airbnb.

Warren made a heartfelt plea for more support: "We need to, as a full family, do a proper press conference and ask the British authorities to help. He's a British citizen. Get Interpol involved. It's just us. I haven't got a team. We need a team to come over here and find out for us what the police are doing and what we need to do. Our hands are tied over here, we need experts. How long can you stay here for? It'll take an army 10 years to cover all this. I'd employ a team of Gurkhas."

Warren remarked: "We've done the valley where his ping was, we've gone up the road to a vantage point, there's cliffs there and there's a valley and a village there."

He expressed bewilderment at the idea of someone choosing to navigate through dense undergrowth when a clear path was available.

"All I'm thinking is common sense, would you try and walk through there. Where we've been today you can see there's a hikers path with proper stones. We've gone straight down and you end up in the village."

Warren also described finding a small cave just off the path in the initial search area, as well as a run-down stone structure containing women's clothing and a bottle of water, which could have been used by his son.

"I'd go into the first building you see. An ideal spot for shelter is that little cave isn't it, get a bit of shade, you're hungover, get your head down in there. The police are convinced that's where his last ping were".

He further questioned why no one had reported seeing his son on the winding mountain road, a route frequented by tourists. "From the bnb, he's a fit lad, 25 minutes you can get to the top, to where the cafe is. If he's followed the road and been where we've been today, it's took him an hour and a half."

"Dozens of cars would have gone past him. We got here at 9am and the 10am bus passed us. And it would have passed him. I've been up here three weeks and I've never seen as many cars. "The Airbnb Jay visited was rented by convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim.

Qassim has stated: "I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go. His friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I'm not going to bring someone back to mine if I don't know them. I'm doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It's a bit mental. I haven't even done anything."

Qassim then added: "The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive."

The Spanish authorities called off their search last weekend after 14 days.