Mystery over Alex Batty's mum as campervan 'abandoned' and whereabouts unknown

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The mum of British boy Alex Batty has reportedly abandoned her caravan as mystery continues to surround her whereabouts.Alex, who went missing in September 2017, was found by a lorry driver near Toulouse in France last Wednesday after leaving a spiritual community to head home to England.The 17-year-old was on holiday in Spain with his mum Melanie, 43, and grandfather David Batty, 64, when he disappeared and has reportedly been living an "alternative" lifestyle.

Alex crossed the Pyrenees and managed to get help from the French authorities to make it back home to Oldham in time for Christmas, the Mirror reports.Authorities are searching for Melanie, who did not have parental guardianship over her son, with Susan Caruana, his grandmother, legally responsible for looking after him.It has been reported that Alex informed police in France his mum might have gone to see the Northern Lights in Finland, but they believe it is "unlikely" as she is on the run from Interpol.Sources say she is most likely still living in the same area of France and has abandoned her campervan.

A French source told The Sun : “Alex said his mother wanted to go to Finland to see the Northern Lights. We must ask how she was able to book a plane ticket while on an Interpol list.

It seems unlikely.” They also added: “There is every possibility that Alex’s grandfather, David Batty, is still alive. There does not seem to be a death certificate, or any other kind of official confirmation of his death.” Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. It is understood Melanie was going by the name of Rose while she lived in a caravan on a campsite in France’s remote Ariege region.