BIRMINGHAM, England

British police said a 17-year-old teenager, who went missing six years ago, was found in France and will reunite with his family in the coming days.

Alex Batty was 11 when he failed to return home from a holiday to Spain in October 2017 with his mother Melanie Batty, who does not have legal parental guardianship, and his grandfather David Batty.

He is believed to have been abducted by the two to live an "alternative" lifestyle abroad.

Despite international public appeals, Alex's grandmother Susan Caruana – his legal guardian – had not seen him since he left the UK.

After six years, he was found alive by chiropractic care student Fabien Accidini, who was doing night deliveries for local pharmacies when he came across him in Revel, near Toulouse in southern France.

The teenager is said to have told he had been hiking in nearby mountains for more than four days in an attempt to return to England.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes of the Greater Manchester force said Caruana was "content" he was her grandson, but further checks would be carried out when he arrived home.

"The young man and Alex's grandmother spoke in video call last night. Our main priority now is to see Alex returned home to his family in the UK and our investigation team are working around the clock with partner agencies and the French authorities to ensure they are all fully supported,” Sykes said.

Manchester police declined to answer whether the teenager's mother and grandfather are suspects in his disappearance.