A French prosecutor has been giving an update after 17-year-old Alex Batty was found in France, six years after going missing in Spain
Batty made the decision to leave his mother in the Pyrenees mountains after she told him they needed to move to Finland, the prosecutor Antoine Leroy says
Leroy says that Batty spent years "constantly on the move" and was at no point enrolled in school
Work is under way to organise travel for Alex Batty to return to the UK - and he will back with his grandmother "probably tomorrow"
Batty disappeared aged 11 during a holiday with his mother and grandfather - his family says they are "massively relieved" he has been found
In a message to his grandmother, Susan Caruana, Alex wrote: "I love you, I want to come home."
Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter
We’re going to end today's live coverage of the extraordinary reappearance of British teenager Alex Batty, who has been missing for six years.
Today’s page was written by Ali Abbas Ahmadi, Thomas Mackintosh, George Wright, James Gregory and Jacqueline Howard. It was edited by Alex Therrien and me.
More now from the statement released a moment ago by Alex Batty's grandmother, who is his legal guardian.
“I cannot begin to express my relief and happiness that Alex has been found safe and well," says Susan Caruana, who lives in Oldham in north west England.
"I spoke with him last night and it was so good to hear his voice and see his face again. I can’t wait to see him when we’re reunited," she says.
Caruana adds that the experience would have been overwhelming for anyone, not least a child. She issued a plea for privacy as Alex returns "so we can make this process as comforting as possible".
"The main thing is that he's safe,” she says.
Alex's grandmother has released a statement expressing her joy that Alex has been found, saying she has spoken with him and she "can't wait to see him when we're reunited."
Stay with us for more.
A little more light has been shed on the Pyrenees mountain community Alex Batty lived in during a press conference held by the Toulouse assistant public prosecutor Antoine Leroy, who says it is "spiritual" in nature.
"They would work on the ego, there was meditation work - there was no connection with the real world. They believed in reincarnation," Leroy says.
The community never stayed in one place for long, and lived in large houses together.
Alex described taking solar panels with them as they travelled, Leroy adds.
As we've been reporting, Alex Batty's decision to leave the spiritual community in the Pyrenees came about when she announced her intention to move to Finland.
Speaking to reporters a short time ago, the Toulouse assistant public prosecutor Antoine Leroy said there is a chance Alex's mother has already moved there.
"It is possible that the mother at this time has in fact gone to Finland as she planned," Leroy said.
French prosecutor describes days before Alex Batty found
Image source, ReutersThe D16 road in France where Alex Batty was found
Here are the details Alex Batty has given to French authorities about where has has been over the last six years.
Image source, Getty ImagesLets have a look back now on the press conference given by Toulouse assistant public prosecutor Antoine Leroy, here’s some of the key things he said:
Leory ends his media briefing by saying UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has told the UK media to protect Alex Batty and his family.
He adds that so long as Alex is in France, authorities "will maintain him from media pressure".
That's it from the press conference, we’ll keep you updated with further lines on this story.
Alex has not told authorities if there were other children living alongside him the commune, Leroy says.
He adds that Alex has revealed few details about those around him - just the details already mentioned in the press conference so far.
He says authorities are now working to establish a timeline of Alex's journey through France and Europe to see whether he might have been spotted at any point.
The prosecutor says Alex walked largely at night because he didn't want to be seen entering Toulouse.
“We don't know if he told his mother that he wanted to leave the community,” Leroy adds, saying he cannot disclose anything more yet.
Alex informed the police that he did not want to remain part of the community he was in and was looking to return home to the UK.
That's why he wanted to go to Toulouse, the prosecutor says, so that he could find assistance to return home to his grandmother.
Leroy says Alex told authorities he was familiar with Toulouse and that is why he walked to the city.
"He went along a long regional road," he says, adding that that the city was signposted along his route.
"This is why a man was able to stop him and carry him."
Alex Batty was found with €100 on him.
Leroy says Alex Batty "came across as a normal teenager".
He says Alex talks easily and does not at any point come across as illiterate or disenfranchised.
Leroy says that there are few other details they know about Alex's life, but says that we will likely find out more once Alex is with his family and more open to sharing his story.
When asked more about the travelling community he was taken to by his mother, the prosecutor confirms that it is not believed to be a "cult".
They were constantly on the move, he says, but there is little more we know about them.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeroy is taking questions now and he is asked about any ongoing investigations into the whereabouts of Alex Batty’s mother.
Leroy says at the moment, there are no investigations in Morocco, Spain or France.
“The only investigation is in Great Britain," he adds.
Alex cannot say where he was as he did not know, Leroy explains adding the French authorities will "take care in handing him back".
There is no international arrest warrant for Alex's mother, Leroy says.
Work is underway to organise travel for Alex Batty to return to the UK, Leroy says.
He adds that he is in touch with the British ambassador in France, and Alex will be with his grandmother "probably tomorrow".
The prosecutor added that further details will not be disclosed for Alex's safety.
Leroy says that Alex's grandfather, who had been with him and his mother, may have died six months ago.
The prosecutor says Alex did not attend the funeral, but that there had been a ceremony in the community around that time.
He adds that the French police confirmed Alex's identity through previous research and images that had been made available internationally.
The police officers in the region have done "remarkable work" in taking care of Alex Batty, he says.
Leroy says Alex and his mother and grandfather "were constantly on the move".
"We still need to find out more," he says. "There was a phobia around certain elements of life which meant the family would travel in a community with ten people at a time."
Leroy talks about Alex saying he had to live within the "realm of a community"
"At no points was Alex enrolled in school," Leroy explains.
Alex Batty made the decision to leave his mother in the Pyrenees mountains after she told him they needed to move to Finland, French prosecutor Antoine Leroy says.
Since going missing, Leroy says Alex, his mother and grandfather have been on the move, spending time in Morocco before leading a nomadic lifestyle in the Pyrenees.
After deciding to leave that lifestyle, Alex walked for four days before being found by the delivery driver.
He mainly walked at night and slept during the day, Leroy said.
A reminder, you can watch the press conference live by pressing PLAY at the top of the page.
We'll also bring you key lines from the media update.