Alex Batty sent gran text from lorry after telling driver 'my mum's a little crazy' - but he WON'T reveal her location

ALEX Batty texted his grandmother from his rescuer’s phone to let her know he was alive after disappearing six years ago.

The British teenager is said to have told the lorry driver who rescued him that “my mother kidnapped me” and that she was “a bit crazy” – but refused to reveal her exact location.

British man Alex Batty was found alive in France after hiking through the Pyrenees MountainsCredit: Greater Manchester Police

British boy goes missing while on holiday with mum and grandad in 2017 Credit: Pixel8000

Alex’s grandmother and legal guardian said she had spoken to him and was delighted he had been found safe Credit: PA: Press Association

The text Alex sent his grandmother after being picked up by a truck driver

Alex, who was 11 at the time, was traveling in Spain with his mum and grandparents in 2017 when he disappeared without a trace.

He was found alive and well in France on Thursday after hiking for days through the Pyrenees mountains to escape the “spiritual” commune where he lived.

It is understood that the first words Alex, now 17, said to the lorry driver who picked him up on the side of the road were: “My mother kidnapped me when I was 12”.

He also texted his grandmother from the driver’s phone, writing: “Hi Grandma, I’m Alex. I’m in France, Toulouse.

“I really hope you get this message. I love you, I want to come home.”

But the boy refuses to tell prosecutors where he has lived for the past six years or where his mother is hiding, the BBC reports.

A police source also told BBC News that the boy lived in remote Pyrenees valleys, traveling from place to place in a sort of nomadic community.

Fabien Accidini, a student from Toulouse who works part-time delivering medicine by truck, said he saw the English teenager on Wednesday.

Mr Accidini told La Depeche: “He was walking while the rain was falling in heavy drops. The second time I passed him I decided to offer to leave him somewhere.

“He was quite tall and blond, wearing black jeans, a white sweater and a backpack.

– He also carried a skateboard under his arm and a flashlight for lighting.

Accidini added: “He said his mother kidnapped him when he was 12. Since then he lived in Spain in a luxury house with about ten people.

“He arrived in France around 2021. In the middle of last weekend, he decided to leave his mother to join his family in England. He hiked the mountain for more than four days!

“He lived with his mother in a spiritual community, away from normal life. Alex told me his mother was a bit crazy, but she never locked him away.”

He also told Sky News that the teenager spoke of his wishes for a normal life, including seeing his grandmother again.

“He didn’t regret it [about leaving the community]…he just wanted to live a normal life, see his grandmother again and have a normal future, that’s the word he used,” the student said.

The young man, who disappeared in 2017, was only supposed to be in Marbella for a week on a prearranged trip with his mother Melanie (37) and grandfather David (58).

However, the family never returned home to Oldham, Greater Manchester, leaving his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana devastated.

Susan previously received a video of the three of them via Facebook on the day they were due to return in 2017.

Greater Manchester Police released it without sound, and it appears to show Alex, Melanie and David reading from some sort of script.

Alex reportedly lived in a rural “spiritual community” in the Pyrenees mountains in caravans and tents with Melanie and David.

After his escape, it was claimed that he had had enough of the “alternative lifestyle” and decided to leave.

Alex reportedly said he didn’t know exactly where he lived in France, except that it was “in the mountains between Ariège and Aude.”

Concerned driver Accidini contacted the police and on the way to the station, Alex borrowed his phone to text his grandmother to tell her he was alive.

He said: “For the first few minutes he seemed a bit shy. We tried to speak in French but I noticed he hadn’t mastered the language.

“I decided to communicate in English. When I asked him his name, he pretended his name was Zach, and then we continued chatting.

“We talked for over three hours! Very quickly, he gave me his real identity – Alex Batty – before telling me his story.”

Alex should be back home in the next few days.

Ms Caruana’s terrified husband Emanuel told the Mail: “We heard yesterday that he had been found. We are now making arrangements through the police to see him and hope to see him in the next few days… We miss him very much. We have hoped, prayed be found safe.”

It is not clear exactly how old Alex was when he realized he had been kidnapped.

His worried grandmother Susan, then 62, thought her daughter and ex-husband may have adopted an “alternative lifestyle” with the 11-year-old somewhere overseas.

She spoke to The Sun from her home today and said she was “delighted” that her grandson had finally been found.

She said: “I’m so happy. I talked to him and he is fine.

“It is currently with the authorities in France. It’s such a shock.

“I don’t know where his mom is. That’s great news. I’m just waiting for him to come home – I’m thrilled.”

The aunt of the missing teenager also came forward after the French gendarmes confirmed that he had been found in the south of France.

Maureen Batty, 73, from Nelson, Lancashire, said she was relieved but worried about how Alex would “be” after six years of ordeal, reports The Mirror.

She said: “I’m glad he was found because we had no idea where he was for the last six or seven years.

“I’m relieved that he’s safe. He’s coming home next week.

“I don’t know where his mother or grandfather are and they’re not pressuring Alex about it yet.

“Alex didn’t go to school while he was out, so we don’t know what he’ll be like when he comes home.

“It affected me. It was hard for Alex. It’s a mess.

She added: “I’m told Alex has said he ran away and doesn’t want to lead that lifestyle. So he’s thinking along those lines.

“I just want to know the truth about what happened. He’s safe now.”

A French police spokesman said: “We can confirm that the young man who was found is Alex Batty. He is doing well and is giving information.”

In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting a British national in France and are in contact with local authorities.”

Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: “This is a complex and lengthy investigation and we need to carry out further inquiries as well as put in place appropriate safeguards.”