A British boy who has not been seen since his apparent abduction six years ago has been found alive and well near Toulouse in France.
Alex Batty, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was just 11 when he went missing while travelling with family members in southern Spain in October 2017.
He was with his mother Melanie Batty, 38, and grandfather David Batty, 59, who do not have parental guardianship of Alex.
The party was due back from Marbella after two weeks, but never returned, leaving police to launch an enquiry.
Alex’s grandmother and official guardian, Susan Caruana, speculated that they had settled into “an alternative lifestyle” somewhere.
She said at the time: “They didn’t want [Alex] to go to school, they don’t believe in mainstream school.”
Alex Batty has been found alive and well in France— (Supplied)
Now prosecutors in southwest France say Alex, 17, has turned up alone in Revel, east of Toulouse.
Fabien Accidini, a chiropractic student from Toulouse who has a part-time job delivering medicines by lorry, said he spotted the teenager in the early hours of Wednesday.
Mr Accidini told La Depeche:”‘He was walking while the rain fell in heavy drops. The second time I passed him, I decided to offer to drop him off somewhere.
“He was quite tall and blond, and dressed in black jeans, a white sweater and a backpack. He also carried a skateboard under his arm and a flashlight for lighting. His attitude gave me confidence. He ended up getting into my van.
“We talked for over three hours! Very quickly, he gave me his real identity – Alex Batty – before telling me his story.”
Investigators believe Alex escaped a rural community living in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Alex was questioned by detectives, and – La Depeche reported – “recounted his incredible journey, serenely and calmly”.
“His story has been verified and appears to correspond to reality. Following this hearing, the teenager was entrusted to the department’s social services, while waiting for his relatives to come forward.”
A French gendarmerie spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the young man who has been found is Alex Batty. He is well and providing information.”
The spokesperson said the French authorities were in touch with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) who were “speaking to his family in England”.
A spokesperson for GMP said: “This is a complex and long-running investigation, and we need to make further enquiries as well as putting appropriate safeguarding measures in place.”
In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are supporting a British national in France and are in contact with local authorities.”
