Alex Batty's mum left two mysterious items at French commune before fleeing

19 December 2023 , 16:56

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Alex's mother left the campsite she was living in, but didn't take her belongings (Image: Enterprise News and Pictures)

The mother of Alex Batty left behind two mysterious items when she fled the caravan site in France, it was reported.

Melanie Batty, 43, was living in a caravan site by the Lac de Montbel since May, but it is thought she left to go to Finland. Alex told French police that it is possible his mum had gone to Finland to see the Northern Lights but that was considered to be “unlikely” by the authorities due to the fact she is on the run from Interpol, it has been reported.

The owner of La Forte campsite had never seen Alex, now 17, but reported that Ms Batty, or Rose, disappeared at the end of September, leaving behind her didgeridoo and red guitar, LBC reported. Her caravan had a cream desk chair, a simple brown sofa bed, and cabinets, and reports suggest she was more of a mystery to the other residents living there.

Expat Susie Harrison, who knows Melanie from a local market in the Pyrenees, said: "Rose is a conspiracy theorist. She believed that Covid-19 was created by the state to control people.

Alex with his mother Melanie (Pixel8000)

Over the weekend, Alex returned to the UK to be with his grandmother in Oldham after six years away. He was taken out of the country by his mother and grandfather when he was just 11-years-old. He went missing more than six years ago with his mother Melanie and grandfather David Batty in September 2017 while on holiday in Spain.

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Suddenly last Wednesday he reappeared near Toulouse after being picked up by a delivery driver. He was found in the South of France by Fabien Accidin who was driving in the area. The teenager was picked up and taken to French authorities. After coming back to the UK, Alex broke his silence on Monday.

After being looked after by the French authorities, he met his step-grandfather at Toulouse airport on Saturday before boarding a flight back to the UK. He will now spend Christmas with his legal guardian, grandmother Susan Caruana, in Oldham, and despite the emotional rollercoaster he has been out shopping with a relative and looking forward to Christmas. Speaking outside a relative’s home, Alex said: "I’m glad to be home for Christmas."

While Greater Manchester Police is yet to establish whether it will open a criminal investigation, it is understood Interpol is looking for Ms Batty. The teenager reportedly told French cops his grandfather had died, but police are considering "all possibilities".

Although it was originally thought Alex’s grandfather, David, was dead, a French source told the Sun: "There is every possibility that Alex’s grandfather, David Batty, is still alive."

Zesha Saleem