Vanessa Sims Lancashire Post Editor

reader

It's the worst news a parent could get - 'Your son is missing abroad and you should go and help find him'.

I cannot imagine what the parents of 19-year-old Jay Slater have been feeling since officers arrived on their doorstep in the middle of the night to give them the bad news their son was missing in Tenerife.

Jay had been visiting the Spanish island to attend the NRG music festival with his friend Lucy.

But Lucy said he had decided to stay out with people he met during the night out.

The last thing anyone has heard from him was a message saying he had missed the bus and was attempting the 10-hour walk back, that he only had one per cent battery on his phone and he needed a drink of water. 

A search and rescue mission has been launched in Tenerife and Jay's mum Debbie has flown out to help.

Everyone at the Lancashire Post is praying for Jay's safe return.

Jay's mum has revealed she has also had to cope with being tormented by hoax callers claiming to have her son.

And fundraising website GoFundMe has put a hold on all fundraisers set up in Jay's name over fears scammers might try to cash in.

But once again Lancashire has shown its strength of spirit and put its metaphorical arm around the Slater family circle.

Messages of support have poured in from the community as well as from community leaders.

A huge group of people from Oswaldtwistle have also flown out to Tenerife this morning to help with the search.

The whole country is waiting with baited breath for him to be found safe and well.

Here's hoping we get some positive news in the next few hours.

Best wishes

Vanessa Sims

Lancashire Post editor

Vanessa.Sims@lep.co.uk