Missing British schoolboy found after being ‘abducted by mother’ six years ago

A British schoolboy who was believed to have been abducted by his mother six years ago has been found in France.

Alex Batty, who is now 17, went missing in 2017 after going on a family holiday to Spain.

Detectives believed Alex was abducted by his mother Melanie Batty to live an “alternative” lifestyle abroad.

French police said the teenager is “well and providing information”, according to reports.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers in Oldham, Greater Manchester, were in contact with French authorities.

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.”

It is understood the teenager, who was 11 when he disappeared, was spotted by a member of the public near the French city of Toulouse on Wednesday and taken to a police station.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper after Alex was found, his grandmother Susan Caruana said: “I am so happy. I have spoken to him and he is well.

“He is currently with the authorities in France. It is such a shock.”

According to the driver who found Alex, who spoke to French newspaper La Depeche, the teenager had been living with a “spiritual” community in Spain before arriving in France in 2021.

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.”

The youngster, from Fitton Hill in Oldham, went abroad with his mother Melanie Batty who does not have legal parental guardianship, and his grandfather David Batty on a pre-agreed trip in 2017.

He flew with them to Malaga Airport for a week-long stay in the Benahavis area near Marbella.

However, they did not return to England as expected on October 8 2017.

David and Melanie Batty remain wanted in connection with Alex’s disappearance.

Despite international public appeals, Alex’s legal guardian, Ms Caruana, had not seen him since he left the UK.

She previously said her daughter and ex-husband lived in a commune in Morocco with Alex in 2014 as part of an “alternative lifestyle”, which she thought lay behind the youngster’s disappearance.

Ms Caruana pleaded for the youngster to get in contact with her in 2018, saying: “I just want to say to my grandson Alex, I love you so much and please, please just get in contact.”