The owners of a French guesthouse revealed the former missing British teenager, Alex Batty, spent two years staying with them without his mother.
Frédéric Hambye and Ingrid Beauve own Gîte de la Bastide in Camps-sur-l’Angly, in Aude, France. They say Alex was living with him under a different name, ‘Zach’.
Alex Batty arrived at the guest house in autumn 2021 accompanied by his grandfather and mother. The revelation is the latest piece of the puzzle in solving the mystery of where Alex has been for the last six years after vanishing when he was only 11.
The couple said his mother did not stay as she was “looking for a place to live” in a spiritual community, but they agreed to give the teenager accommodation in exchange for him doing chores in their garden and kitchen.
The couple admitted Alex became “part of family life”. They said: “Over the years, we’ve come to see him as part of our family, and we think he appreciated the stability and security we offered him. In particular, he had a room to himself, unlimited access to the internet and was completely free to come and go as he pleased.”
The cottage is listed on booking.com and has a wide range of rooms from two people per room to 30 people per room.
A whole range of activities in the region are encouraged on the cottage website, including horse riding or visiting cultural sites such as the hot springs, Rennes-les-Bains.
One reviewer Guido, on Booking.com, described the hotel: “A wonderful place to feel good. With a beautiful garden, good cuisine, delicious wines, and very helpful hosts.”
Anther, Paul, described his stay: “A total rural setting and such a beautiful place. The meal cooked in the evening was exceptional.”
Frédéric Hambye and Ingrid Beauve said Alex Batty was keen to participate in “the life of the gite,” and got on well with their children as he joined them in activities such as cycling and trips to the beach.
Mr Hambye and Ms Beauve said they encouraged him to learn French and study, and helped him “find a school where he could be admitted without prior education”.
The couple added that he told them he was eager to go to school and “get back a normal life” but did not have any identification paperwork that would allow him to get back to Britain. The last they heard he had left to “join his mother”.
The British teen flew back to the UK on Saturday, six years after he left home on what was meant to be a two-week family vacation in Spain.
The whereabouts of Alex’s mother is not known, although French prosecutors believe she could be in Finland. Meanwhile, his grandfather is thought to have died.
Alex was just 11 when he was reported missing when taken on holiday to Marbella, Spain with his mum Melanie Batty and his grandfather, before moving on to France.
