Image source, Greater Manchester Police
Alex Batty Younger, pictured before his disappearance
British teenager Alex Batty, who was found in France after disappearing for six years, is expected to return home to the UK in the coming hours.
Alex disappeared in 2017 while on holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather.
His mother does not have parental custody of the 17-year-old, and her current whereabouts are unknown.
Alex was found by a motorist on Wednesday, who spotted him on a road in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, near Toulouse.
The French news agency reported that British police officers would accompany the boy on a flight from France, citing French Attorney General Antoine Leroy.
Alex is believed to have been living a nomadic lifestyle in spiritual communities with his mother and grandfather for the past few years.
French officials said he decided to leave when his mother wanted to go to Finland.
It is believed Alex walked across the mountainous terrain in southern France for four days before a delivery driver found him in the middle of the night.
The driver, Fabian Oxedini, said he lent the teen his phone and allowed him to use his Facebook account to contact his grandmother, Suzanne Caruana.
Ms Caruana, who is the Oldham resident’s legal guardian, said she could not wait to be reunited with him.
Alex’s grandmother, Susan Caruana, pictured in 2019, spoke of her relief and happiness
“I cannot begin to express my relief and happiness that Alex has been found safe and well,” she said in a statement released by Greater Manchester Police on Friday.
She added that “it’s so good to hear his voice and see his face again.”
She asked for privacy for the family so they could “make his return as comfortable as possible.”
Additional reporting by Chris Bookman
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