Alex Batty is fearful of the “glare of publicity” and will remain under special legal protection, a court has ruled.

The 17-year-old, who returned to the UK on Saturday (December 16), six years after disappearing on holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather, was represented by lawyers at a hearing at a Family Court hearing at Manchester Civil Courts of Justice today (Thursday, December 21).

Alex was 11 when he went missing and had been reportedly living an itinerant lifestyle until he was spotted by a delivery driver while walking in southern France and was taken to local authorities.

The court head that a police investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance is ongoing.

Kirstin Beswick, barrister representing Oldham Council, asked for Alex to be made a ward of the court in the care of his grandmother, as he was before he disappeared with his mother, Melanie Batty and grandfather, David Batty, in October 2017.

Wardship means High Court judges will remain his legal guardian to oversee his welfare, provided by his grandmother with the support of the council, until he turns 18 in February.

In normal circumstances, reports of family court hearings are subject to reporting restrictions but Deputy Judge of the High Court, Sarah Singleton KC, allowed reporting of the hearing.

Judge Singleton said: “It seems to me that it would makes something of a nonsense of the media’s attendance if the identity of the young person was not included with what could be reported, because, to use more casual speech, it’s out there already.

“Alex is, perhaps entirely understandably somewhat fearful of the glare of publicity around his circumstances.

“There is, it seems to me, to be a legitimate public interest in reporting the outcome of a difficult set of circumstances of a young person.

“He is being supported by his maternal grandmother and Oldham Council to resume a normal life, here.”

Alex was found by chiropody student Fabien Accidini while walking alone near Toulouse in the early hours of Wednesday, December 13.

His grandmother Susan Caruana from Oldham said before his return to the UK that she could not express her "relief and happiness" that Alex had been found "safe and well".

Alex had been living in communities around the Pyrenees for some years before walking for four days as he looked to return to a normal life in the UK.

French prosecutors have said they believe his mother is in Finland while his grandfather is believed to have died.