Jay Slater is the ‘smiliest man in the room’

A friend of Jay Slater has paid tribute to “the happiest and most smiley person in the room” after his body was found during the search for him in Tenerife.

Lucy Law, who was last known to have spoken to Mr Slater during a phone call on June 17, paid tribute to him on her Instagram page.

He said: “Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you are (sic) one of a kind Jay and you will be missed more than you know.”

The 19-year-old’s family is awaiting word on the post-mortem examination afterwards body discovery near last known location from the teenager’s lost cell phone.

Spanish police said “all the evidence” pointed to the body being Mr Slater’s.

They released video footage of rescuers climbing rocks and struggling through scrub as they carried out the search.

Part of the clip shows two members of the search team being pulled out of the area by helicopter after the body was found.

They said Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, may have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area.

Ms Law’s tribute continued: “I’m sure you’ll have your ‘dance shoes polished and ready’ waiting for us all.

“We all love you friend. Fly high.”

Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Sarah Smith said she was working to ensure Mr Slater’s family received support from the government, “especially to get them to work as quickly as possible for repatriation”.

Mr Slater attended the NRG music festival with two friends before he disappeared, and his last known location was Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Islands, about 11 hours from his accommodation.

They had traveled to an Airbnb in Masca after a night out, but the two people renting the property were later ruled “not relevant” to the case.

The search for Mr Slater has involved family, friends, police and specialist mountain rescue teams, along with volunteers from several countries including groups Dutch mountain savior.

LBT Global, which supports the families of Britons missing abroad, said that although official identification had not been carried out, “the body was found with Mr Slater’s belongings and clothes”.

It added: “A post-mortem examination and forensic inquiries will be carried out.”

Looking for an apprentice mason expelled by the Spanish police at the end of June, but in a statement on Friday, the force said the team has not stopped searching every day.

He added: “The discovery was made possible thanks to the continuous and prudent search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, where the natural place was preserved so that it was not crowded with spectators.”

Residents of Mr. Slater’s home town offered their support and prayers to Mr. Slater’s family.

Rev Matt Smith of the West End Methodist Church said: “Our thoughts and our prayers are with them. We are here and supporting them for when they need us.”

Blue ribbons have been tied to trees and lampposts in Oswaldtwistle and on the fence outside the church in a show of support for the family.

Rev Smith said the church would be open from 19:00 to 20:00 BST “to give us an opportunity to come together and just share our feelings, thoughts and prayers”.

He said the church would be open for people to pray, write messages, light candles and “for people to just come and be here and let us serve the community for them”.

One community member in Oswaldtwistle told BBC Radio Lancashire: “I think there’s a community here because he’s a local kid and he’s known.

“I’m sorry for the family going through this.”