Jay Slater: There are simply no words that mean anything to Jay Slater's family at this time

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The month-long search for missing Jay Slater has ended in the devastating news the people of Oswaldtwistle were dreading.

Earlier today it was confirmed by the Spanish mountain rescue teams a body had been found in Masca 29 days after the 19-year-old was last seen.

His family, friends and neighbours had been routing for the apprentice bricklayer in the hope he would be found safe and well.

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In a show of love and support his community tied blue ribbons across the town - and a sign that began to signal the hope he would be found.

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But as news began to emerge today, despite no formal identification yet taken place, the sad news was sinking in that Jay had most likely died as a result of a fall.

East Lancashire reporter for the Lancashire Post Sam Quine has been in Oswaldtwistle today speaking to the grieving community who send nothing but love and support to his mum Debbie Duncan and wider family.

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One resident said: “Because we know him quite well, he played football with my grandson for eight years at Huncoat United we want to send our comdolences to Debbie his mother and the rest of the family.

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“It is just so sad. I think this will hit the community hard.”

Another said: “I’d just like to say I am so sorry for the family’s loss and I’m surprised it has taken such a long while to find him.

“I think this will have a big impact on those members of the community who knew him. I didn’[t really know him, I’ve probably seen him out and about. It’s a sad loss to the community.”

A dog walker added: “What a relief for the family, they are at least going to get some closure that he has been found. Obviously, the anxiety they must have been feeling must have been absolutely terrible.

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“I’m just so sorry it has actually come to this. He has been found. I hope they can find comfort in that. There are no words that can actually mean anything to them at this moment, I think it is just the begining of starting to grieve and putting things in place.”

LEP

Charity LBT Global said that, while formal identification has not yet taken place, the remains were found with the 19-year-old’s clothes and possessions near his last known location.

Members of a mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard discovered the body near the village of Masca on Monday.

The force said Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was discovered.

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Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca after a night out, but the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled “not relevant” to the case.

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