British Teen Alex Batty Admits Lying About Escape to Protect His Mum

British teenager Alex Batty admitted to The Sun that he misled police about his escape details to shield his mother and grandfather. Found six years after disappearing, Alex said skepticism about their nomadic life began in his early teens. Motivated by a college aspiration, he left them in the French Pyrenees.

Now back with his grandmother in Oldham, Alex has revealed his journey entailed a two-day trek to Toulouse, not four days as previously claimed. A French student, Fabien Accidini, picked up Alex and helped him reach the authorities, leading to his return to the UK.

In 2018, Alex's grandmother believed he was taken by his mother and grandfather to a spiritual community in Morocco to avoid traditional schooling. They had initially left for a holiday in Spain and were last seen in Malaga on October 8, 2017.

Reunited with his UK family, Alex plans to study French and computer science in college.