Oldham teenager Alex Batty has said he does not want his mother or grandfather to go to prison over his disappearance.

The 17-year-old was found in southern France in December, six years after going missing while on holiday in Spain with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty.

Alex returned to the UK last month and is back living with his legal guardian, his grandmother Susan Caruana, who also said she does not want her daughter or ex-husband to go to prison.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain this morning, Alex said: "That's why I didn't come home sooner - all I worried about was them getting locked up."

Ms Caruana agreed, saying: "That's the last thing I would want.

"I don't want them to go to prison.

"I used to think about Alex every single day and that was painful but now I won't think that way any more."

Greater Manchester Police launched a criminal investigation into Alex's abduction last month to understand the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

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Discussing the "nomadic lifestyle" Alex was living with his mother and grandfather, Alex said: "We stayed in a lot of caravans. We stayed in a lot of houses, always up mountains hours away from any kind of village. One day I just thought ok I cant take this any more.

"I knew everything was in place for them to leave where we were so if I were to leave everything would be gone by the time the police arrived."

Discussing his return to the UK and a normal life, Alex said: "I've had one friend in the past six years - everyone else has been a lot older than me so I'm very comfortable talking to adults but with children my age it is different."

He said his current ambitions were to go to college, get a part-time job and organise a night out for his 18th birthday next month.