Jay Slater’s mum makes heartbreaking last request after his body was found

A vigil was held in Jay's hometown of Oswaldtwistle last night.

Jay Slater’s heartbroken mum Debbie Duncan says she wants to see her departed son ‘one last time’ after police confirmed a body found in a ravine in Tenerife was the missing teenager’s.

However, family members have suggested they are ‘not sure that’s a memory’ the grieving mother wants after the body was said to be ‘highly deteriorated’ and suffering broken bones.

The 19-year old went missing after getting lost in the remote, mountainous region of Masca in Tenerife following a night out and is thought to have died instantly after accidentally falling into a ravine.

Officials say formal identification will not happen until next week but confirmed the body was almost certain to be Jay’s after the fingerprints and clothes matched the missing teen’s.

A family spokesman told The Sun: ‘Formal identification of Jay’s body will be done using a DNA sample provided by the family to the Spanish Guardia Civil during the early stages of the search.

There should be no need for the family to have to perform a formal identification.

‘Debbie has said she wants to see him one last time.

‘Obviously that’s a personal voice but given he’s been there the best part of a month in those conditions, I’m not sure that’s a memory she will want.’

Arrangements are currently being made to repatriate the body to the UK where a second post-mortem is likely to be carried out by a Home Office pathologist.

An emotional vigil took place in Jay’s hometown of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire following the news, with friends releasing dozens of blue balloons into the sky in his memory.

The balloons, released at the West End Methodist Church, carried messages saying ‘you’ll be missed’ and ‘fly high Jay’. Others were emblazoned with the number 19, which was Jay’s age.

Pam Kierons, Jay’s former football coach, was among those to lay flowers at the church. She told The Mirror: ‘I’m devastated for the family, devastated for Debbie. The outcome is not what anyone wanted, but at least they can bring his body home. 

‘It’s disgusting that people have dug into past issues and come up with crazy conspiracy theories. Sadly the most likely thing to have happened has happened.’

Minister Smith said Jay’s mum Debbie approved of the service. She chose the two songs – Birdy’s Wings and a version of Forever Young – which were played inside the church.

‘Debbie and family are going up the mountain tonight and they are going to lay some flowers in memory of Jay'” Minister Smith added.

‘Although we are thousands of miles away from each other we stand with them in solidarity. Debbie asked me to thank you for coming today.

‘She wanted everyone to know how loved Jay was and that is evident by everyone here. Jay will never be forgotten.

‘Community is what will get us through the days and weeks to come. Together we will be stronger.’

Missing persons’ charity LBT Global said Debbie was ‘lost for words’ when she heard the news.

LBT Global’s chief executive, Matthew Searle, was talking to Jay’s Mum, Debbie, at the time this news broke and she and Jay’s family were devastated at the news.

 She said: ‘I just can’t believe it. We’re here with the Embassy staff waiting for an update and now it’s come – the worst news.

‘I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken.’

Matthew is now calling on the public to give the family privacy. He hopes it is the end of ‘hurtful social media comments’.

He said: ‘The announcement does seem to confirm that Jay died of injuries consistent with an accidental fall from a considerable height.

‘There will of course be many more hurdles for the family to face in the coming days and we will work with them to make this horrific time as easy as possible.

‘We are working with the family now to sort out the next steps of taking Jay home, recovery of his belongings and laying him to rest back.

‘We will not be releasing details of travel timings or funeral arrangements at this time and ask again for privacy for the family. I ask now that this is the end of all the hurtful comments on social media and elsewhere.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.