IT is simply after 8pm and a tout is luring vacationers into his bar with the promise of “a free line” of cocaine with their first drink.
Two prostitutes in skin-tight bodycon attire loiter outdoors whereas down the highway, “looky-looky” males flow into, providing Class-A medicine.
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A police automotive crawls previous, its head-lights on the crowds of holiday-makers, however the officers inside appear blind to the blatant criminality.
These streets of sin are in infamous Tenerife occasion city Playa de las Americas, the place British teen Jay Slater took a robust cocktail of medicine earlier than falling to his loss of life precisely a yr in the past in the present day.
But fairly than this function a protracted overdue wake-up name for the realm’s seedy operators, the other has occurred.
As Jay’s household now mark the primary anniversary of his loss of life on the age of 19, The Solar witnessed at first hand how the debauchery exhibits no indicators of abating.
Vacationers now say the resort city’s essential drag, Veronica’s Strip, has grow to be such a den of vice it’s not protected at night time.
Pupil Georgina Haywood, 19, who had simply flown in from Manchester along with her boyfriend, instructed us: “We went right into a bar subsequent to KFC and I wouldn’t return once more.
“Looky-looky males had been throughout providing low-cost medicine and we’ve heard for those who purchase them, they may mug you as quickly as they see the money.
“On the switch bus over right here we had been speaking to 3 males who instructed us they’d been robbed each time they’d come right here.
‘Off their heads’
“They stated thieves steal your watch as they’re speaking to you and also you don’t even discover till it’s too late.
“I wouldn’t come right here with a gaggle of ladies.
“It doesn’t really feel protected.
“Two women had been grabbed the opposite night time and robbed for every little thing that they had, and that’s my largest concern.
“On the bars they may hold providing you with drinks till you’re actually drunk, and there shall be males outdoors ready so that you can go away to allow them to pounce.
“If individuals are mixing drinks with medicine it’s even worse.”
Georgina and accomplice Harry Griffin spent £500 on flights and a lodge — and one other £300 on tickets for the three-day New Rave Era (NRG) techno pageant which Jay additionally attended.
Harry, 18, a petroleum station attendant, added: “You possibly can see why a younger lad might get into bother out right here.
“On the rave we didn’t see one one that was simply consuming.
“Everybody was off their head.
“You don’t have to ask for medicine, you get provided on a regular basis when strolling down the road.
“We’ve had a good time thus far however you need to hold your wits about you.
I wouldn’t come right here with a gaggle of ladies. It doesn’t really feel protected
Georgina Haywood, 19
“There was an individual being sick outdoors the rave final night time and we went inside to ask for a bottle of water for them — however they stated no, it’s their fault.
“Within the UK, for those who felt sick, they’d assist.
“Right here, for those who don’t have cash, they don’t care.”
It was the prospect of a protracted weekend of onerous partying that introduced tragic Jay Slater to Canary Islands hot-spot Tenerife.
This was the primary time the apprentice bricklayer had been overseas with out household and he was with friends Brad Geoghegan, 19, and Lucy Mae Regulation, 18, though neither later attended the inquest into his loss of life.
Earlier than Jay went lacking, he had attended an NRG occasion at Papagayo Seaside Membership, on the finish of Veronica’s Strip, and among the closing pictures posted of him present a care-free and smiling younger man.
However he was additionally captured making an attempt to get again on to his toes after tripping, and a neighborhood waitress recalled that he appeared to have overdone it, telling the Solar: “He was unstable on his toes.
“I gave him water at no cost, as he didn’t look nicely.”
Jay would have been nicely suggested to move again to his lodge with Brad and Lucy, however as a substitute he carried on partying and despatched his friends a sequence of disturbing texts.
One included a photograph of two knives hid in his trousers, and a caption saying: “In case it kicks off.”
In one other, he claimed he had taken a watch from “two Mali children” and was on his strategy to promote it for £10,000.
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Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, then made the fateful choice to get in a automotive with convicted drug supplier Ayub Qassim, 31, and one other man referred to as Steven Roccas, earlier than travelling an hour north to a £40-a-night Airbnb property referred to as Casa Abuela Tina, close to the distant village of Masca.
Jay’s final Snapchat publish was at 7.30am on Monday, June 17 final yr and confirmed he was at rugged magnificence spot Parque Rural de Teno Buenavista del Norte.
At round 8.15am, he referred to as Lucy to say he had missed his bus and was planning to make the 11-hour stroll again to his lodging — including that he was dehydrated, had minimize himself on a cactus and was operating out of cellphone battery.
He then went lacking, sparking countless conspiracy theories and a month-long search — as his mother and father, Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater, flew to Tenerife to assist hunt for him.
His stays had been lastly discovered on July 15, not removed from his final identified location.
You don’t have to ask for medicine, you get provided on a regular basis when strolling down the road.
Harry Griffin
Preston Coroner’s Court docket later heard he had suffered a extreme mind harm after falling to his loss of life, and had traces of medicine in his system together with cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.
Now a Solar probe can reveal the identical narcotics had been available final weekend on the NRG pageant.
Inside minutes of arriving on Veronica’s Strip, I used to be approached by a road hustler and provided cocaine for 70 euros a gram.
‘It’s simply carnage’
A hooker grabbed me and stated: “I make good intercourse.”
Inside a bar, the place unlawful nitrous- oxide balloons had been being touted by bargirls for 15 euros every, a barman provided to promote The Solar’s photographer a gram of coke for 60 euros.
Transferring on down the strip, we had been approached by a tout beckoning folks inside his bar with the provide of “a free line” with the primary drink.
The identical man then provided to promote a full gram — and when our reporter tried to make his excuses and go away, saying that he didn’t have any money, he was instructed they’d be completely satisfied to take a card fee.
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Youngsters had been dancing wildly on the bar whereas a protracted queue fashioned contained in the gents’ bathroom as a sweaty janitor grinned knowingly on the wide-eyed revellers ready for his or her flip to make use of the cubicle, saying: “It’s completely satisfied hour tonight.”
The following day, Saturday, we joined 1000’s of younger ravers who had been packed into the Xanadu Equestrian Centre for the penultimate night time of the NRG pageant.
By 7pm, various sunburnt younger males already gave the impression to be the more serious for put on and struggling beneath unrelenting warmth because the temperature remained at a gentle 28C.
Lads with glazed eyes grabbed maintain of one another for assist whereas staggering towards the bar to purchase bottles of water.
A good friend was out final night time and a few folks tried to pin him in opposition to a wall and take his pockets. Medicine are all over the place
Jordan Pollock
Others, topless and carrying satchels — identical to Jay — had been gasping for breath beneath the colonnades because the frenetic beat of the music continued to rattle their ribs.
Pipe-fitter Jordan Pollock, 19, had purchased VIP tickets to NRG together with buddies Robbie Harpie, 19, Craig Duff, 19, Lawson Duff, 19 and Raymond Dowse, 20.
Jordan, from Glasgow, stated: “It’s night time, because it’s onerous techno identical to we hearken to again residence.
“However the well being and security out right here is stunning — we paid £50 further for our tickets and ended up being instructed to go away the stage as a result of it was about to break down.
“We had been fortunate that it didn’t collapse whereas we had been on it.
“A good friend was out final night time and a few folks tried to pin him in opposition to a wall and take his pockets.
“Medicine are all over the place.
“You should buy ecstasy, Mandy, Charlie and ketamine on the road, however most individuals pre-order what they need via social media.”
Retired chemical producer Colin McMillan has been visiting Tenerife commonly for the previous 15 years and has little doubt about what led to Jay’s loss of life.
Colin, 57, from Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, stated: “He was a sufferer of the medicine tradition and it solely appears to be getting worse, sadly.
“I really like Tenerife as a result of it has year-round sunshine and you may nonetheless purchase a pint for simply 2.5 euros.
“However Veronica’s Strip is simply carnage — pickpockets, fights and medicines.
“My good friend was on a stag do there in April and when he left the bar to name his spouse he was jumped by three guys who beat him up so badly they disconnected his eye socket.
“The police have to crack down and put a cease to the crime.
“However I’ve heard that each one these bars are owned by the identical highly effective particular person, who should have numerous clout as a result of they don’t do something about it.”
What occurred to Jay Slater was an unimaginable tragedy for him and his household — however the longer I stayed in Playas de las Americas the extra I sensed that it might not be lengthy earlier than this hedonistic occasion city claims one other sufferer.
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