British investigator says abuse of Jay Slater's family by online trolls 'needs to stop'

Investigator Mark Williams Thomas spoke to journalists on the Island, after arriving earlier this week Credit: ITV News

A former police detective who has travelled to Tenerife says internet trolls are adding to the pain of the family of Jay Slater from Lancashire who's been missing in Tenerife for nine days.

Jay, who is from Oswaldtwistle, disappeared after attending the NRG music festival in the resort of Playa de Las Americas.

Jay Slater, 19, has gone missing on the Canary Island of Tenerife.

Former police officer Mark Williams Thomas, who says he has spoken with the family, and listened to messages aimed at them, said the hounding the family online needs to stop.

The investigator said in all the messages sent to family there had been "no requests for financial renumeration in any aspect at all".

He added that all the messages that have been threats have been passed to the police and said: "It's amazing the amount of people who have called up and threatened with their own telephone number."

Meanwhile, the Mayor of a town in Tenerife where there was a possible sighting of Jay says police on the island are now investigating it as a potential lead.

This image is being looked into as a possible sighting of missing Jay Slater

This image was captured by a webcam in the town of Santiago del Tiede. The Mayor says the Spanish Guardia Civil have asked for footage from the camera as part of their investigations.

ITV News correspondent Mel Barham spoke with the Mayor on Wednesday 26 June.