Nan of missing Brit Alex Batty reveals moment she knew he was missing after heartbreaking phone call

The nan of the missing lad who was found after six years has revealed the moment she knew he was gone.

Susan Caruana, 68, was the legal guardian of Alex Batty, 17, when he went missing back in 2017.

Over six years ago now, an 11-year-old Alex went on a pre-agreed trip with his mum Melanie Batty, then 37, and grandad David Batty, who was 58.

They flew out for a week-long stay near Marbella, but didn’t return to England on their expected date, and it was then thought the lad may have been abducted.

But after having enough of his nomadic lifestyle with ‘no friends’ and ‘no social life’, Alex decided it was time to escape – leaving his mum behind.

He returned to the UK last weekend from France and has reunited with his nan in Oldham.

Susan told The Sun she felt ‘utterly betrayed’ when her daughter and ex-husband took the little lad.

PA

She explained she received a call from them back when they were in Spain, which ended up being the last she heard from them for six years.

As the ‘holiday’ came to an end, the mum and grandad allowed Alex to ring Susan to tell her he wouldn’t be coming back. And the nan then overheard Melanie saying they were ditching the phones.

Susan said: “They completely and utterly betrayed me and left me heartbroken.

“I knew as soon as I heard her say, ‘We’re getting rid of the phones now’ I thought ‘I’ll never see him again.’”

Their phones, as well as their passports, where then dumped in a McDonald’s bin.

The heartbroken nan instantly contacted the police, but nothing could be done until Alex had failed to board the flight home. An alleged abduction investigation was then launched as the mum and grandad took him around Spain and France.

GMP

Susan said the hardest part of all of it was not knowing if her grandson was dead or alive.

She explained: “I didn’t hear anything from them again until Alex was found in France.

“During the whole six years I never knew if if they were alive or dead.

“Every time there was some sort of disaster I feared that he could be a victim.

“And during Covid I had no idea where he was so I didn’t know if he was in a built-up area or not.”

Over the moon to be reunited with Alex, Susan said she can never forgive Melanie and David for tricking her into letting her grandson go abroad.

Now the lad is back in the UK and Greater Manchester Police have interviewed him, a criminal investigation into his alleged abduction has been launched.