Friend who reported Lancashire teen Jay Slater missing was 'hung up on' by police

ITV News' Ben Chapman spoke to Lucy about the search for her friend Jay Slater.

The last person to speak to Jay Slater has said that the local police "lacked a sense of urgency" when she reported him missing.

Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife after telling his friend, Lucy Mae, he "didn't know where he was" and needed water, after beginning an 11-hour trek back to his hotel.

He was last seen getting into a silver car with those he had met, before ringing Lucy the morning after to tell her he was on his way home after missing the bus.

She said: "It’s been awful - I’ve never felt so awful in my life. None of us have slept the last few days.

"The last thing he said to me 'I really need a drink'."

Before his phone ran out of charge, Jay shared his location with Lucy.

She said: "The last pin he dropped wasn’t even on the road. Why did he go off road? There’s unanswered questions there."

Since he went missing a huge search has been ongoing at the remote location where his phone was last tracked. Emergency crews have been combing the area in the Rural de Teno Park near the village of Masca, close to a route which is popular with hikers.

Photos, shared to Facebook, by the Bomberos Voluntarios de Santiago del Teide, the volunteer firefighters, show crews hard at work searching the mountainous terrain.

However, Lucy has criticised Spanish police for their "lack of urgency" when she first reported Jay missing.

She said: "I got the phone put down on me by the Spanish authorities so I went to speak to them in person. I’ve had my phone stolen before, and they gave me the same slip of paper.

"They told me I’d get a call within 48 hours, but obviously the 48 hours after a person goes missing can be the most crucial.

"I’ve tried to report a 19-year-old is missing with no phone no water he’s never been in this area. There definitely needed to be more urgency."

Lucy has called on the British police to support the search, as she feels the "language barrier" has been an issue during the investigation.

She said: "We went in for another police interview this afternoon, but there was no translator so we had to use Google Translator which isn’t ideal. You'd think they had someone in there who could translate for us."

More than 72 hours on from his disappearance, Lucy is calling on the search party to widen the area in which they look for Jay.

She said: "They keep checking the same area, obviously he’s not there. The search needs to be made wider."

On Tuesday, volunteer firefighters confirmed they were working with police, the mountain civil guard, the dogs unit and Jay's family and friends.

The Guardia Civil said they understand the feelings of Jay's friends and family, but they are following procedure for a missing persons investigation.

Lancashire Police said: "Our role is in supporting the family. We have been to see them, and we will continue to offer them support. Obviously our thoughts are with them at this time. We are also in touch with the consulate in Tenerife for any updates."

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