Jay Slater's devastated family rocked by online trolls, a search branded a 'PR stunt', and a police investigation that won't share anything
The world woke up to the news that the near-fortnight search for missing British teenager, Jay Slater, was over – as declared by Spanish police in Tenerife. The search efforts have swept the globe, with thousands sending messages of support, donating money to the cause, and following every update as the case has ticked over into its fourteenth day.
But the case has been rocked by online trolls targeting a devastated family, and the search efforts have been the focus of scepticism, with one Brit volunteer calling the final push to find Jay nothing more than a PR stunt.
Throughout it all, however, one thing is beyond a doubt. Jay’s loved ones want him home – and they won’t stop searching.
READ MORE: Jay Slater's dad sends emotional message to online trolls as he visits search site
The news that Tenerife’s Civil Guard, which has been leading efforts to find the 19-year-old from Lancashire, announced today (June 30) that it was calling off its search for Jay Slater. The search has involved sniffer dogs, a helicopter and mountain rescue experts, had been brought to an end. They said officers would continue to act on any tip-offs or other information that came in - but the active work that has been ongoing since June 17 when the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer was reported missing would now cease.
The major change in the case came less than 24 hours after a final push operation. But hopes of hundreds out on the ground looking for Jay were dashed, as the operation involved around 30 police, firefighters, Civil Protection, and a handful of volunteers.
The Manchester Evening News understands that this was the largest, most obviously active search on the ground since Jay disappeared – even more so than the first, and most