A British boy who vanished six years ago had been found alive after fleeing a "spiritual community" in France.
Alex Batty was just 11 years old when he did not return from holiday with his mother Melanie Batty and grandfather David Batty back in October 2017.
Police launched an investigation into his disappearance but despite international public appeals, Alex had not been seen since he left the UK.
His grandmother and legal guardian, Susan Caruana, believed the boy was taken by her daughter and ex-husband to live an "alternative lifestyle" at a commune in Morocco.
"They didn't want [Alex] to go to school, they don't believe in mainstream school," she said at the time.
Earlier this week, a French student found the boy walking alone in heavy rain.
In an interview with Sky News, the student said Alex told him he had been kidnapped by his mother and lived in a luxury house in Spain with around 10 people before moving to France in around 2021.
The student called the police and Alex's identity was confirmed by the family.
"He didn't have regrets [about leaving the community]... he just wanted to live a normal life, to see his grandmother again and to have a normal future, that's the word that he used," the student told Sky News.
Early enquiries by judicial police working with prosecutors suggest Alex was living in a "spiritual community" with his mother and grandfather, and mainly staying in caravans and tents, the Daily Mail reported.
The outlet reported Alex fled the community which was in the foothills of the French Pyrenees.
Investigators believe after Alex escaped the rural community, he spent days trekking across the mountains before he was spotted by the student.
Prosecutors said the boy would be returning to England shortly.
An investigation is underway to find Melanie and David who are wanted in connection to Alex's abduction.
