Striking French cops ‘missed chance to save Alex Batty MONTHS ago when he went to school…then made same crucial blunder’

Alex Batty should have been found five months ago alongside his still-missing “kidnapper” mother – but French police were on strike and apparently failed to act, it emerged today.

The extraordinary revelations came on Thursday after 17-year-old Brit returned home to Oldham, Greater Manchester, six years after being allegedly abducted. 

PA

Alex batty went missing in 2017 while on a trip to Spain with his mother and grandfather[/caption]

His mother and alleged kidnapper, 48-year-old Melanie Batty, remains on the run, however.

She is said to have forced him to live in an itinerant “spiritual community” instead of returning to his legal guardian, who is his grandmother, Susan Caruana, 68.

Now it has emerged that Alex and a woman turned up at prestigious IT college in Perpignan, in the South of France, last July.

Teachers at Ecole 42 (School 42) were impressed by his online application, which included passing a computer exam “with flying colours”.

But there were concerned by his profile, especially as he was using fake personal details.   

“He gave his name as Zack Edwards,” said Marie Payré, the administrative manager of Ecole 42.

“He told us by email that an airline had lost his identity papers.’

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