LONDON, Dec 15 — A teenager from Britain who was found in southern France after disappearing six years ago is expected to return to his family in northern England in the next few days, British police said today.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said they were working with the French authorities to bring Alex Batty back to Britain.

"He’s getting well cared for by the French authorities at the moment... Our priority is to get him back to the UK and get him back to his family in Oldham as soon as possible, that is expected to happen over the next few days,” GMP Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes told a press conference.

Batty — then 11 years old — disappeared during a trip with his mother and grandfather to Malaga, Spain, in 2017. The whereabouts of Batty’s mother, is still unknown.

"We still have some work to do in establishing the full circumstances surrounding his disappearance and where he has been in all those years,” Sykes said.

Sykes said Batty had spoken to his grandmother via video call yesterday evening. — Reuters