Spanish police have now issued a massive appeal for volunteers to join the search for British teenager Jay Slater.
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle went missing on Monday last week (17 June) and hasn’t been heard from since around 8am that day after his phone died some 37km away from where he was last seen by friends.
Slater had attended the NRG (New Rave Generation) music festival on the island over the weekend but got separated from his friends and his last location was said to be in the mountainous Rural de Teno park area – a popular hiking trail amongst locals – but authorities haven’t been able to pinpoint him since.
With the youngster missing for nearly 12 days, Spain’s Civil Guard has now been called in to help with the search and police in Tenerife have also urged volunteers to step forward as the search grows increasingly desperate.
A mass operation is now underway to help find Jay Slater and the police chief of the Civil Guard in Tenerfire, Angel Sanz Coronado, said in an official statement that local offers and natives are now on the trail, with specialist search dogs also deployed within the search parties.
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“Given that it is a steep, rocky area, full of uneven terrain and with many ravines, tracks and trails”, said Coronado, “we request the collaboration of all those volunteer associations that can help in this planned search that is intended to be carried out in a directed and coordinated way.”
“This massive search will begin on Saturday, 29 June at 09:00 hours. A meeting point will be established at the Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda in Masca to start the search in a logical and orderly way along the many paths and ravines that are found in Masca.”
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While many have questioned how Slater, an apprentice brick-layer who was on his first trip abroad, ended up so far away from the Veronica’s Strip in the Playa de Las Americas resort and district of Tenerife, the area’s connection to the local drug scene has also added extra cause for concern.
Jay’s friend, Brad, recently spoke to media reporting from the search area in Tenerife and detailed how the Lancashire teen had strayed from the main path and “didn’t seem concerned” when they last spoke. The rescue crew is now sizeable with more family and friends said to be flying over to help.
New helicopter footage has been released, showing specialist teams continuing their search for missing 19-year-old Jay Slater in Tenerife. Jay had stayed at an Airbnb rental the night before he vanished after 'walking off alone' in a remote part of the island. Since his…
Slater’s mum, Debbie Duncan, set up a ‘Get Jay Slater Home’ crowdfunder to help generate additional money to be put towards the search efforts, which has now reached well over £40,000.
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Describing her son’s disappearance as every parent’s “living nightmare”, she said in an update on the fundraising page: “We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay” and help cover the expenses of those staying in Tenerife.”
Elsewhere, family friend Rachel Hargreaves, mother of best mate Brad, has condemned the growing trend of online trolling surrounding his disappearance, with countless social media users making jokes and some even reportedly messaging pretending to be Jay and messaging her son “I miss you”.
With people making claims about Slater’s background and drumming up various conspiracy theories, she went on to tell the BBC: “The stuff people have been saying about us is just not true. We are not those kinds of people at all.”
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More than £2 million in compensation received by underpaid workers in the North West
Danny Jones
More than £2 million is said to have been dished out in compensation to workers in the North West alone, as the UK government is continuing to crack down on employers underpaying their staff.
Employees from nearly 500 different companies across the region have received the money they owed following a raft of fines in excess of £2.7 million.
Covering the likes of Greater Manchester and beyond, the companies responsible have been revealed by the government as part of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is tasked with shoring up workers’ rights moving forward.
The FWA is part of Labour’s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and hopes not only to correctly reimburse those short-changed but also, with the clear threat of swift action, deter others from trying to do the same in the future.
Matthew Taylor CBE has been appointed Chair of the Fair Work Agency, a new body that will transform how employment rights are enforced across the UK.
How? By tackling exploitation, supporting businesses doing the right thing, and helping to build a fairer labour market. pic.twitter.com/duEeNlwDHr
— Department for Business and Trade (@biztradegovuk) October 14, 2025
Released publicly last Friday, 17 October, 80 companies that failed to properly pay approximately 19,000 workers in and around the North West have now been repaid by their employers.
Perhaps most concerningly is that the fines sweep across multiple sectors and sizes, from local independents and SME to well-known high street brands.
From April 2026 onwards, the updated Employment Rights Bill (which also includes the FWA) grants more powers to tackle employers underpaying workers and failing to fulfil both holiday and sick pay.
This announcement also comes after the National Minimum Wage rate was increased earlier this year, with millions getting a pay rise and those working full-time on the National Living Wage seeing their families supported by an extra £1,400 per year.
Under the ‘Make Work Pay’ initiative set out by the Labour Party, more than 15 million Brits are expected to benefit from the new measures.
Overall, roughly £6 million has been put back into the pockets of underpaid workers up and down the country following these fines, which are said to have totalled roughly £10.2m. The full list of companies in question can be seen HERE.
Speaking on the news, Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “This government is taking direct action to ensure workers get every penny they’ve earned, and to put an end to bad businesses undercutting good ones.
“We’re proud to have delivered a strong minimum wage, and enforcing it thoroughly is crucial in our mission to put pounds back in your pocket. I know this news will be welcomed by brilliant businesses across the country, those who know that happy, well-paid staff are at the heart of building a successful company.
“With our new Fair Work Agency and the coming Employment Rights Bill, this government is keeping our promise to Britain to make work pay again.”
If you fear you might be suffering from underpayment by your employer, you can check that your wages are correct online; alternatively, you can call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or contact their website for more information right HERE.
342 arrests made in Piccadilly Gardens since start of GMP’s pledge to ‘improve’ public safety
Emily Sergeant
More than 300 people have been arrested in Piccadilly Gardens since the police pledged to ‘improve’ the perception of the area.
A dedicated neighbourhood policing team that was set up by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) back in March to tackle issues and concerns in Piccadilly Gardens, and ultimately improve the public’s sense of safety, has seen a total of 342 arrests since its inception.
The City Centre Piccadilly Gardens neighbourhood policing team – which is led by Chief Inspector Michael Tachauer – works together with partners, including Manchester City Council, to tackle these problems with long-term solutions.
Following the team’s success since it started, GMP will now continue to build on the foundations of its problem-solving approach to address some of the most prevalent issues.
According to police, Piccadilly Gardens has seen ‘real progress’ being made in terms of safeguarding, enforcement, and GMP’s wider understanding of the issues and concerns communities are facing this past year.
342 arrests have been made in Piccadilly Gardens since the start of GMP’s pledge to ‘improve’ public safety / Credit: GMP
Since March, GMP has seen a total of 342 arrests resulting in 279 charges / cautions, 511 stop searches, 37 weapons seized, and large amounts of Class A and Class B drugs seized too.
“We remain committed to improving both the perception of Piccadilly Gardens and the public’s sense of safety in the area,” commented Chief Superintendent David Meeney, who is the City of Manchester District Commander.
“However, this is not something we can achieve alone. We will continue to work closely with our partners and deploy additional police resources whenever intelligence or demand indicates a need for increased presence.
“We also rely heavily on information from our community, from those who work in the area to residents living nearby. Your reports are vital in helping us develop targeted plans that our neighbourhood officers can act on, so please continue to share any concerns or incidents with us.”
Got any concerns about Piccadilly Gardens? You can continue to report those to GMP by calling 101 or online via gmp.uk.com. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
Danny Jones -
28th June 2024 
