Greater Manchester Police launch criminal investigation over Alex Batty disappearance

A criminal investigation has been launched into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK last week after six years missing abroad, Greater Manchester Police said.

The teenager went missing aged 11 in 2017 after his mother, who was not his legal guardian, took him on a pre-arranged trip to Spain with his grandfather.

Alex landed in the UK on Saturday having been found by chiropody student Fabien Accidini near the French city of Toulouse last week after walking across the Pyrenees.

Officers in the UK interviewed the 17-year-old after his return from France and a criminal investigation has been launched, GMP said.

Alex left his mother for a better future, telling The Sun she was "a great person but not a great mum".

The teenager, who is now under the legal guardianship of his grandmother, Susan Caruana, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said his mother was "anti-government, anti-vax", whose catchphrase was "becoming a slave to the system".

He had become fed up with his nomadic lifestyle, with "no friends" and "no social life".

After being looked after by the French authorities, Alex met his step-grandfather at Toulouse airport on Saturday before boarding a flight to the UK, GMP said.

It is thought Alex had been living with his mother and grandfather, who had taken him to Spain in September 2017, across Spain, Morocco and France while he was missing.

Last week French prosecutors said the teenager's mother, Melanie Batty, who does not have legal parental guardianship, may be in Finland.

Antoine Leroy told reporters Alex had said he knew his way of life with his mother "had to stop" after she said she intended to move to Finland.

This led him to walk for "four days and four nights" across the Pyrenees, the prosecutor said.

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