TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas has a new theory why missing Jay Slater left the Airbnb on Tenerife three weeks ago. After interviewing one of the men who was staying at the rental property, the former detective claims that the teen was "hungry".

He spoke to Ayub Qassim, 31, also known as 'Johnny Vegas', who allegedly drove Mr Slater to the rental property after meeting him in Playa de las Americas.

Despite Spanish police dismissing Mr Qassim and another unnamed man as irrelevant to their investigation, Mr Williams-Thomas believes there may be more to the story.

READ MORE: The Welsh town centre where locals say they no longer feel safe

READ MORE: TV presenter's horrific ordeal as sons go missing for 40 hours on remote volcano

Mr Qassim claims that Jay, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire, arrived at the Airbnb alive and left after a party following a music festival. However, Jay disappeared on Monday, June 17 after deciding to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos, a journey that would have taken approximately 11 hours on foot.

It's thought that he missed his bus and chose to make the trek instead.

The search for Jay was called off by Tenerife's Guardia Civil after deploying helicopters, drones, and search dogs to no avail. Meanwhile, Mr Williams-Thomas, conducting his own independent investigation, alleges that Mr Qassim offered to drive Jay back the morning after the party, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The "real reason" Mr Slater reportedly declined a lift was disclosed by the former Met Police detective, who said: "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'."

It is claimed that Jay informed Mr Qassim that a woman had told him buses to Los Cristianos ran every 10 minutes. However, Mr Qassim allegedly responded that there was no bus and told him, "Do what you like", before returning to bed.

Mr Williams-Thomas recounted that Mr Qassim remembered next receiving a call from one of Jay's friends stating that Jay was found lying in a ditch, having been "bitten by a cactus".

The detective also noted that Mr Qassim did not disclose the identity of the second man who accompanied Jay to Masca and refused to discuss the alleged theft of a Rolex watch, which has been speculated to be connected to Mr Slater's vanishing.

Jay's relatives are reportedly urging Spanish authorities to utilise drones and additional resources in Rural de Teno park, where Jay's mobile phone signal was last registered.

A source told the Sun about the family's eagerness for approval to use the advanced equipment they have pinpointed.

They said: "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."