British boy who disappeared six years ago during a holiday on the Costa del Sol is located in France

A young boy who disappeared during a family holiday in Benahavís near Marbella in 2017 has been safely located, it was confirmed today (Thursday, 14 December). Alex Batty, now aged 17, was found by a French lorry driver after supposedly leaving a “spiritual community” by the town of Revel, near Toulouse in southern France.

Batty, from Oldham in the UK, went missing with his mother and grandfather in October 2017 when they were all due to return back to the UK. His grandmother and legal guardian told the BBC at the time that she suspected that the boy had been taken to Morocco since his mother had wanted to join a sect and take him out of school.

Batty, who was 11 when he disappeared, finally reappeared this Wednesday in Revel, where he was spotted by a worried driver who took him to a police station, according to sources quoted by the British broadcaster.

According to the teenager, he had been living in France for at least two years, although all of his movements during the time that he has been missing have not been revealed.

Alex Batty is reported to have said that after leaving the commune he had been walking for almost five days, in an effort to make his way to England, before being picked up by the lorry driver and asking to use his phone.

A physical examination carried out by French authorities indicates that he is in good health and it has not been reported that he suffered any mistreatment.