Alex Batty has spoken about his incredible story for the first time since he reappeared after going missing six years ago – while sending a scathing message to his mother.
The 17-year-old’s story became headline news after it emerged the authorities had been reunited with the missing teenager after first disappearing in 2017.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Alex lashed out at his mum calling her a “great person” but “not a great mum”.
He spoke of how he walked out on mother Melanie, 43, and his grandfather David, 64, after they traveled throughout Europe for six years.
He described how he decided to leave his family and walked for two days after a row with them.
According to The Sun, a motorist called Fabien Accidini spotted him walking near Toulouse, France, and said that after “typing the teenager’s name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for”.
He was then taken to the cops who ensured his safe return to be with his grandmother back in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Alex described how he first considered leaving his family when he was “14 or 15” and that he realised the way he was living “wasn’t a great way to live for my future”.
He also noted that the lifestyle he had endured saw him “move around” constantly leading to “no friends, no social life”.
Antoine Leroy told reporters Alex had said he knew his way of life with his mother “had to stop” after she announced an intention to move to Finland.
This led him to walk for “four days and four nights” across the Pyrenees, the prosecutor said.
On the whereabouts of Alex’s mother and grandfather, Mr Leroy said: “It is possible that the mother at this time has in fact gone to Finland, as she planned.
“The grandfather, who has always been with his daughter and grandson, is said to have died approximately six months ago.”
Alex was described as “tired” but “in good health” after being checked over by French officials and seemed “intelligent” even though he had not attended school for six years.
