Jay Slater missing latest: Teenager’s Instagram ‘mysteriously accessed since vanishing’ in Tenerife

The family of a Celtic fan missing in Lanzarote has been told by Spanish police that the case into his disappearance is closed.

Gary Shearer, from Renfrew, vanished just hours after he arrived in the country alone to celebrate St Patrick’s Day on 16 March, 2023. The 53-year-old’s loved ones still have no idea what happened to him.

They say they have been impacted by the news this week of missing teenager Jay Slater, who has gone missing in the other popular Canary Island of Tenerife.

His sister Debbie, 49, told the Daily Record: “The news of Jay Slater has brought all our raw emotions to the surface again. The past few days have been particularly hard for us hearing it all and we know only too well what his family is going through.. We just hope they get the answers they need.”

She said her family is in shock after the police met with her parents to confirm that they had “exhausted all leads”.

The fundraiser launched to help with the search for Jay Slater has reached more than £26,000 so far.

As of Saturday afternoon, at least 2,500 people had donated to the GoFundMe page as the search for the missing 19-year-old continued for a sixth day.

Jay Slater’s mother has said officers have “stepped up” their search for her missing son in Tenerife after she spent hours in a police station.

Debbie Duncan, 55, said officers laid out the details of their search when she spent eight hours in a police station on Friday after flying out to the island earlier in the week.

She told the Guardian: “I think it’s been stepped up,” she said, describing the move as “too right”.

She added that police told her they are “investigating all leads”.

Jay Slater’s mother has revealed a possible new last sighting of her missing son is being investigated.

Debbie Duncan, 55, told MailOnline: “Someone has come forward to say they saw someone who they thought was Jay walking back down the road sat on a bench.

“He was with two men looking a bit worse for wear, and they were by a church, this guy has come forward and told the police about it and they are looking into it. We don’t know if it was Jay for sure, but it’s a start.

“They said it was about 6pm which is ten hours after he was seen by the lady in the village. But if it was him what was he doing there and who are these two men?

“All I know is that I am going to stay here for as long as it takes, I’m not going home unless it’s with Jay. I’m not going anywhere until they find him.”

It has not been officially confirmed as a sighting of the missing teenager yet.

Police have been searching in a brutal and sparse area of Tenerife known locally as “the badlands” for missing British teenager Jay Slater.

Mountain rescue teams were scouring a 2,000ft ravine in a remote park in a northern part of the island on Friday, according to The Sun.

Officers, firefighters, volunteers and sniffer dogs can be seen searching in Teno Nature Reserve in photographs, which is the 19-year-old’s last known location.

The area is known for its “thin” air as well as its rapidly changing temperatures, with local residents and experts warning of the dangerous conditions. The mountains also fall sharply into the water below.

Spanish search and rescue teams have gathered again in Tenerife for the sixth day of the hunt for British teenager Jay Slater.

Officers reconvened at Rural de Teno Park on the south of the island on Saturday following another day of no major breakthroughs.

Jay Slater’s Instagram has reportedly been mysteriously accessed since he went missing in Tenerife on Monday.

A family friend issued a warning yesterday on an official Facebook page that has been providing updates on the search.

They posted: “Jay’s mums asked I post this. For everyone asking who has logged into his Instagram account, it’s not him or her, somebody else has logged into it.”

Lancashire Police said it offered to help in the search for missing teenager Jay Slater.

But Spain’s Guardia Civil said it had all the resources needed to look for him.

The force said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jay’s family at this time. They must be going through the most distressing ordeal not knowing what has happened to their loved one.

“We have specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay’s family.

“Whilst this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources. They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.

“Once again, our thoughts remain with Jay’s family and friends at this distressing time.”