A BRITISH boy who went missing six years ago has been found alive in France after fleeing on foot from a “spiritual community” in the mountains.
Alex Batty from Lancashire was just 11 when he disappeared during a family holiday in Spain in 2017.
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Briton Alex Batty found alive in France after going missing on family holiday in 2017Credit: Greater Manchester Police
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Alex’s mum Melanie Batty took her son to Spain before he disappeared Credit: PA: Press Association
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Alex’s grandfather David Batty, 58, was also on the trip in Benehavis, near MarbellaCredit: PA: Press Association
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Alex was traveling with his mum Melanie (37) and grandfather David (58) when he was allegedly kidnapped.
He went on a pre-arranged trip with his mum and grandparents, but his grandmother and legal guardian, Susan Caruana, remained in the UK.
And the three were expected to leave Marbella after just a week in the town of Benahavis, but they never returned.
The police launched an investigation into his disappearance, but to this day, every trace of him has been lost.
They were expected home on October 8, but inquiries at the time suggested they may have sailed from Malaga to Mellil on the Moroccan border that day.
His grandmother Susan, then 62, thought they might have adopted an “alternative lifestyle” somewhere overseas.
Then she said: “They didn’t want to [Alex] to go to school, they don’t believe in regular school.”
And she revealed that her daughter and ex-husband had previously lived in a commune in Morocco with Alex in 2014.
Speaking to The Sun today, Susan 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.”
Prosecutors believe Alex, now 17, was found in Revel, near Toulouse, in southern France.
Local reports say he escaped from a rural spiritual community in the Pyrenees mountains and hiked for days to escape.
A concerned truck driver eventually picked him up and contacted the police, who took him into custody.
He allegedly did not show any official ID to the officers who questioned him, but managed to identify himself.
“His face and his story match in every way that of the British man kidnapped in 2017,” said local reports.
The teenager reportedly told the story of what happened to him “calmly and calmly”.
It is claimed that he lived in the south of France, staying in tents and caravans with his mother and grandfather.
He is now apparently in social services while officers wait for his family to come forward.
Greater Manchester Police said today that they have been contacted about a “possible sighting of Alex Batty in France” and are cooperating with French authorities.
They said: “This is a complex and lengthy investigation and we need to carry out further inquiries as well as put in place appropriate safeguards.”
A French police spokesman added: “We can confirm that the young man who was found is Alex Batty. He is doing well and is giving information.”
A spokesman said French authorities were in contact with Greater Manchester Police who were “speaking to his family in England”.
His devastated carer Susan said in 2018: “They were due to come back on Sunday afternoon and my husband was due to pick them up.
“I got this message on Facebook and it was a video of the three of them on YouTube.
“Everyone was talking about it and Melanie said the reasons why they did what they did.
“Alex said it was a million times better to be with my mum and grandpa. Obviously it hurt me a bit, but then my other worries came into play.
“The reason I believe they did that is because basically my lifestyle, my belief systems are not what they agree with – I just live day to day, how normal people live.
“They didn’t want him to go to school, they don’t believe in regular school.”
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Alex’s grandmother, Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian, said she thought the family may have adopted an ‘alternative lifestyle’ abroadCredit: PA: Press Association
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Alex, now 17, apparently walked for days to escape the commune in the Pyrenees Mountains Credit: PA: Press Association
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