A TV detective, looking into the disappearance of Jay Slater, has addressed concerns about a “distressing” video that is circulating on social media.

A violent video has emerged which shows a person being badly beaten up.

It is being shared on social media with people questioning if the male in the video is the missing Oswaldtwistle teenager.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former police officer, said the person in the video cannot be Jay as it was “posted to a social media site nine years ago”.

Mark said: ”Update on a video. A lot of people are contacting us about a distressing video that is circulating.

“The video was first posted on a social media site nine years ago and therefore cannot be Jay Slater.”

Earlier this week, Mark, who is now back in England after flying out to Tenerife on June 24, provided an update about Jay, who has been missing since June 17.

He said the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer left Veronicas Strip, in Las Americas, in a Seat Leon hire car.

During the journey, Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had taken a £12,000 Rolex from a person.

Mark said: “En route Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had taken a £12,000 Rolex from a person.

"We’ve been unable to validate this in terms of reported thefts.

"Friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject to later conversation between the friends.”

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Jay has not been seen since Monday, June 17. At the time of writing, there haven’t been any major breakthroughs in the search for the missing Oswaldtwistle teenager.

The search was called off by Spanish police at the weekend although they say the “case remains open”.