Greater Manchester Police held a press conference this morning on missing Oldham boy Alex Batty who has been found in France.

According to French authorities, Alex was found on Wednesday (December 13) and last night spoke on a video call to his grandmother Susan Caruana who is "content" that it is Alex.

Speaking at the press conference, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said: "I think I speak on behalf of the whole GMP when I say we are relieved and overjoyed, when I read from the French authorities that Alex Batty is found safe and well.

"It’s been six years since he disappeared, this is a huge moment for Alex for his family and for the community in Oldham.

"Alex went missing whilst on holiday in 2017 when he was just 11 years old. On Wednesday a member of the public reported a potential sighting in the Toulouse area of France."


The Oldham Times: Alex Batty was last seen in 2017

He continued: "The young man identified as Alex was taken to a French police station.

"The young man and Alex's grandmother spoke on a video call last night and while she is content that this is indeed Alex, we obviously have further checks to do when he returns to the United Kingdom.

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Greater Manchester Police has held a press conference after issing boy Alex Batty was found in Oldham after six years

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"Our main priority now is to see Alex return home to his family in the UK and our investigations team.

"Alex and his family remain our focus and we still have some work to do to establish the full circumstances surrounding his dissapearance and where he has been in all those years."

Alex, a pupil at Hathershaw College, went on a pre-arranged trip flying to Malaga in September 2017 with his mum, Melanie Batty, who did not have parental guardianship of Alex - and her father David Batty, to a villa in the Benahavis area near Marbella.

But despite extensive police inquiries, an international appeal and assistance from Spanish authorities, they have not been seen or heard from since - and Miss Batty and Mr Batty are wanted on suspicion of Alex's abduction.

Inquiries revealed the family left Benahavis on October 8 and it was originally thought they may have fled to Melilla in Morocco.