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| Alex Batty: Teen from Oldham missing for six years found in France | Alex Batty: Teen from Oldham missing for six years found in France |
| (5 months later) | |
| A 17-year-old British boy missing for six years has been found in France. | A 17-year-old British boy missing for six years has been found in France. |
| Alex Batty is at a young person's centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK within hours, the prosecutors' office in the city told the BBC. | Alex Batty is at a young person's centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK within hours, the prosecutors' office in the city told the BBC. |
| Alex used a motorist's phone to message his grandmother in the UK, saying "I love you, I want to come home". | Alex used a motorist's phone to message his grandmother in the UK, saying "I love you, I want to come home". |
| He had been missing since 2017, but was found on Wednesday morning by the motorist who spotted him walking through rain near Toulouse. | He had been missing since 2017, but was found on Wednesday morning by the motorist who spotted him walking through rain near Toulouse. |
| The boy disappeared after going on holiday with his mother and grandfather in Spain. | The boy disappeared after going on holiday with his mother and grandfather in Spain. |
| The pair, who do not have parental guardianship of Alex, have not been located but remain wanted in connection with his disappearance. | The pair, who do not have parental guardianship of Alex, have not been located but remain wanted in connection with his disappearance. |
| A police source earlier told BBC News the boy had been taken to a police station by the concerned motorist who had spotted him on a road in the foothills of the Pyrenees early on Wednesday morning. | A police source earlier told BBC News the boy had been taken to a police station by the concerned motorist who had spotted him on a road in the foothills of the Pyrenees early on Wednesday morning. |
| The motorist, delivery driver Fabien Accidini, saw Alex walking along a road in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the early hours of Wednesday morning. | The motorist, delivery driver Fabien Accidini, saw Alex walking along a road in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the early hours of Wednesday morning. |
| "He explained that he had been walking for four days, that he set off from a place in the mountains, though he didn't say where," Mr Accidini said. | "He explained that he had been walking for four days, that he set off from a place in the mountains, though he didn't say where," Mr Accidini said. |
| "I typed his name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for," he said. | "I typed his name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for," he said. |
| Mr Accidini told local media Alex's plan had been to find a big city with an embassy to find assistance. Instead, Mr Accidini contacted French authorities for help. | Mr Accidini told local media Alex's plan had been to find a big city with an embassy to find assistance. Instead, Mr Accidini contacted French authorities for help. |
| Alex used Mr Accidini's Facebook account to contact his grandmother back in the UK. | Alex used Mr Accidini's Facebook account to contact his grandmother back in the UK. |
| He wrote: "Hello Grandma, it's me Alex. I'm in France Toulouse. I really hope that you receive this message. I love you, I want to come home." | He wrote: "Hello Grandma, it's me Alex. I'm in France Toulouse. I really hope that you receive this message. I love you, I want to come home." |
| Alex Batty, centre, disappeared with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty | Alex Batty, centre, disappeared with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty |
| Alex Batty, centre, disappeared with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty | |
| The boy said he had been in France for two years, the police source said, adding that he bore a resemblance to the last known picture of Alex. | The boy said he had been in France for two years, the police source said, adding that he bore a resemblance to the last known picture of Alex. |
| He had been living in the remote Pyrenean valleys, travelling about from place to place in a kind of itinerant commune. | He had been living in the remote Pyrenean valleys, travelling about from place to place in a kind of itinerant commune. |
| The area in the foothills of the Pyrenees is known for attracting people in search of alternative lifestyles. | The area in the foothills of the Pyrenees is known for attracting people in search of alternative lifestyles. |
| Alex won't say where his mother is or exactly where he had been living in the Pyrenees, the prosecutors' office told the BBC. | Alex won't say where his mother is or exactly where he had been living in the Pyrenees, the prosecutors' office told the BBC. |
| His grandmother - and legal guardian - Susan Caruana told The Sun newspaper, external she had now been in touch with Alex. | |
| "I am so happy. I have spoken to him and he is well," she said. "It is such a shock." | "I am so happy. I have spoken to him and he is well," she said. "It is such a shock." |
| Ms Caruana told the BBC in 2018 that she believed Alex's mother Melanie Batty and grandfather David Batty had taken him to live with a spiritual community in Morocco. | Ms Caruana told the BBC in 2018 that she believed Alex's mother Melanie Batty and grandfather David Batty had taken him to live with a spiritual community in Morocco. |
| She said at the time they were seeking an alternative lifestyle and did not want Alex to go to school. | She said at the time they were seeking an alternative lifestyle and did not want Alex to go to school. |
| Melanie and David Batty left Greater Manchester with Alex for a pre-agreed week-long holiday to Marbella in Spain on 30 September 2017. | Melanie and David Batty left Greater Manchester with Alex for a pre-agreed week-long holiday to Marbella in Spain on 30 September 2017. |
| He was last seen at the Port of Malaga on 8 October that year, the day they were expected to return to the UK. | He was last seen at the Port of Malaga on 8 October that year, the day they were expected to return to the UK. |
| British police were contacted via the UK embassy in Paris. | British police were contacted via the UK embassy in Paris. |
| Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was in touch with French authorities to put "safeguarding measures in place". | Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was in touch with French authorities to put "safeguarding measures in place". |
| "This is a complex and long-running investigation, and we need to make further enquiries as well as putting appropriate safeguarding measures in place," a spokesperson 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," a spokesperson said. |
| 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." | 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." |
| Additional reporting by Chris Bockman in Toulouse | Additional reporting by Chris Bockman in Toulouse |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Oldham | Oldham |
| France | France |