A British child, who had been missing for a period of six years, has been located in France.

 A British child, who had been missing for six years, has been located in France.

                    A photograph of Alex Batty taken at an unspecified date before his disappearance.

A British teenager, Alex Batty, who vanished six years ago, is expected to return home soon after being found by a driver walking along a roadside in southern France. Batty disappeared at the age of 11 during a holiday in Spain in 2017 with his mother, who lacked legal parental guardianship, and his grandfather. While British police have no information about Batty's whereabouts during the past six years, Fabien Accidini, a French motorist who rescued him, revealed that the teenager had been living in France for the last two years in a spiritual community. Batty claimed to have been kidnapped by his mother in Morocco five years ago, spending three years in Spain and the last two in France, describing his mother as "a bit crazy."

Accidini, a chiropractic student delivering medicines to pharmacies overnight, encountered Batty while driving. Initially providing a false name, Batty spoke to Accidini for three hours in English and French. Accidini found Batty walking along a road with a skateboard, jacket, backpack, and flashlight in the rain. Batty revealed he had been walking for four days since leaving the mountains.

Accidini shared that Batty wanted to leave the spiritual community in France, expressing relief to return to England and reunite with his grandmother for real life and the future. The family confirmed Batty's identity, and he is set to return to England soon. The Toulouse public prosecutor's office reported the teenager's imminent return. Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes emphasized the priority of bringing Batty back to the UK, with expectations of his return to northern England in the next few days.

Sykes stated that British police lacked details on Batty's whereabouts in the past six years and needed to speak to him to establish the full facts. Batty's grandmother, Susan Caruana, expressed happiness and shock, confirming that she spoke to him and he was well. A message reportedly sent by Batty to his grandmother via Accidini's Facebook account stated his location and desire to come home.

Greater Manchester Police acknowledged the possible sighting in France and are in contact with French authorities to verify the report. They described the investigation as complex and ongoing, emphasizing the need for further inquiries and safeguarding measures.