Jay Slater vanished from an Airbnb in Masca after claiming he was 'hungry', according to TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas who is investigating the teenager's disappearance. The investigator spoke to reporters about interviewing a man who had driven with Mr Slater to the rental property after meeting him in Playa de las Americas, south of the island.
The driver, Ayub Qassim, 31, known as 'Johnny Vegas', and another unnamed individual, have been deemed irrelevant to the missing person investigation by Spanish police, according to the Express.
Mr Qassim stated that Jay, a 19 year old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, arrived at the Airbnb alive and left after a party following a music festival he attended. Jay disappeared on June 17 after deciding to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos, a journey that takes approximately 11 hours on foot.
- Read more: Ex-detective says Jay Slater's disappearance has links to 'criminal network' as new details emerge
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It's thought he missed his bus. Despite deploying helicopters, drones, and search dogs, Tenerife's Guardia Civil called off their search for the teenager.
TV detective Mr Williams-Thomas, conducting his own independent investigation separate from the official police response, told MailOnline that he had spoken to Mr Qassim. He alleges that Mr Qassim offered to drive Jay back on the morning after the party in Playa de las Americas, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The former Met Police detective revealed the "real reason" Mr Slater allegedly declined a lift later in the day, stating: "Qassim said to him 'Chill, mate, I'll drop you off later, when I wake up', but he said Jay said, 'Nah, I need some scran, I'm hungry'."
Jay reportedly informed Mr Qassim that a woman had told him buses to Los Cristianos were every 10 minutes. However, Mr Qassim refuted this, saying there wasn't a bus and told him, "Do what you like", before returning to bed.
Mr Williams-Thomas shared that Mr Qassim's next memory was receiving a call from one of Jay's friends informing him that Jay was lying in a ditch somewhere, having been "bitten by a cactus".
The detective added that Mr Qassim did not disclose the identity of the second man with whom Jay travelled to Masca and remained silent about the alleged theft of a Rolex watch, which some speculate could be connected to Mr Slater's disappearance.
The mystery of Jay's disappearance continues to baffle nearly three weeks after he was reported missing. It is reported that Jay's holiday rental was a mere 10-minute distance from the nightclub where the music festival afterparty took place.
In the meantime, it is said that Jay's family are anxiously waiting for Spanish police to deploy drones and other equipment over Rural de Teno park, the last known location of his mobile phone.
A source disclosed to the Sun: "They are desperate for permission to be granted that will allow them to use the specialist equipment they've identified."
"They've been speaking to experts who have suggested items that could help - things like [radar] tracking gear, drones and kit which can help at night-time too."
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