26 December 2023 , 12:52
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Missing teenager Alex Batty celebrated Christmas properly for the first time in years with two dozen cans of his favourite drink.
The 17-year-old, who was picked up by a lorry driver as he hiked through France in an effort to return to the UK earlier this month, after being kidnapped in 2017, is now back living with his grandma Susan Cuarana, 68. The boy's legal guardian said she was having the "best Christmas ever" following her grandson's shock reappearance.
Alex had disappeared after going on holiday to Spain with his mum Melanie, 43, and grandad David, 64. They moved between isolated communities before settling in France, with the teen living in a farmhouse in a tiny village under a different name.
Now back in Oldham, Greater Manchester, he got his Christmas wish of 24 cans of Irn Bru and a couple of family-sized bags of crisps he missed while out of the country. Susan admitted she has never been able to celebrate the festive season properly since her grandson vanished.
Alex with his mum Melanie and grandad David (Enterprise News and Pictures)In an exclusive interview Alex told The Sun: “I loved Irn-Bru when I was little and used to get some from the corner shop whenever I could. The same for Worcestershire sauce flavoured crisps. So my gran surprised me by tracking down a massive pack of cans and a couple of family-sized bags of crisps. I could have just tucked into them for Christmas dinner.”
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The teenager was found on a rural road at 3am on December 13 near Camon, 65 miles south of Toulouse, before being handed over to the police and days later being flown back to the UK. Susan was reunited with him 2,269 days after she last saw him. She admitted she has to "pinch" herself as she "can't quite believe" Alex has returned.
Alex's grandma Susan Caruana (CHRIS NEILL)Alex did not have any proper schooling during his time moving around Europe and is now preparing to start college in January. He said he "never really celebrated Christmas" while he was away due to how often they moved. He even admitted to "loving" the cold weather and rain.
His other gifts included a new phone and headphones, an Alexa device, a sketch pad and colouring pencils and a water bottle. He also got tickets to see his beloved Man United take on Aston Villa. The whereabouts of Alex’s mum and grandad are unknown after she left a rented house in the village of Villefort in France.
Greater Manchester Police said it had launched a criminal investigation into Alex’s alleged abduction. The force previously said it would not be able to identify the investigation's nature until Alex provided a statement. Now, a criminal probe will be launched, it has been confirmed, after officers interviewed the teenager in the UK.