Alex Batty’s grandmother has spoken out after the boy was found safe and well six years after going missing.
Susan Caruana, Alex’s legal guardian, has said she feels ‘relief and happiness’ that her grandson has been found.
The now-17-year-old teenager was picked up by a stranger near Toulouse and taken to a police station, where French authorities confirmed his identity.
Alex, from Oldham, had left the UK in 2017 on a family holiday to Spain with his mother (who did not have parental guardianship) and his grandfather, but never came home as planned.
He had remained missing until this week.
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Greater Manchester Police and The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will now work to bring Alex home safely.
Alex Batty’s grandmother Susan has said that she has spoken to him and ‘can’t wait to see him’.
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Alex Batty has been found alive and well in Spain as GMP issue a statement.
In a statement issued through GMP, she said: “I cannot begin to express my relief and happiness that Alex has been found safe and well.
“I spoke with him last night and it was so good to hear his voice and see his face again. I can’t wait to see him when we’re reunited.
“The main thing is that he’s safe, after what would be an overwhelming experience for anyone, not least a child.
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“I would ask that our family are given privacy as we welcome Alex back, so we can make this process as comforting as possible.”
Greater Manchester moorland fires still burning after more than two weeks
Emily Sergeant
Firefighters tackling moorland fires across Greater Manchester are still at work more than two weeks later.
Most notably, a blaze broke out on the evening of Saturday 11 July near the popular beauty spot of Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham, prompting a major multi-agency response with fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) working hard in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies were also deployed as operations continue across multiple sectors of the incident.
However, firefighters are tackling Dovestone on two fronts, as the fire at Saddleworth has gone on to merge with a fire at Tintwistle, and at Swineshaw.
Greater Manchester moorland fires are still burning after more than two weeks / Credit: GMFRS
The fires have burned hundreds of hectares of moorland, which is equivalent to the size of 1,250 football pitches, the landowner told BBC News.
The fire service said the rainfall and mist over the weekend had dampened the moorlands a bit, but despite this, the fires had not been extinguished and are still being classed as a ‘major incident’.
Three arrests have been made in connection to the Dovestone Reservoir fire, including one woman who has been charged.
20-year-old Shania Care-Slede, from Hyde has been charged with aggravated arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and dangerous driving, and is next due to appear in court next month on 18 August.
“I’m incredibly proud of our firefighters, who have shown outstanding resilience and bravery this weekend to tackle these wildfires in challenging weather conditions and difficult terrain,” commented GMFRS’s head of response, Ben Levy.
“Their professionalism throughout this incident, alongside the invaluable support of our partners, has been exceptional.”
Featured Image – GMFRS
Oldham
An innovative new Macbeth stage production is being put on at an unlikely venue in Oldham
Danny Jones
A brand-new innovative take on Macbeth is coming to a rather surprising venue in Oldham as part of a new production by the Coliseum.
It may be BY Oldham Coliseum Theatre, but this new stage show is taking place at a rather different kind of location entirely.
Teaming up with North West actor Nick Bagnall and director, who has already served in an associate role at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, this will be his very first production, and unlike most other Shakespeare performances you will have come across.
With his various plays serving as ever-perfect pairings for adaptation, his version of arguably the world’s most famous tragedy is coming to an iconic site in its own right, which just so happens to be a nightclub.
Yes, Nick Bagnall and Oldham Coliseum Theatre‘s twist on Macbeth will be coming to none other than Liquid and Envy on Retiro Street.
A legendary local institution known for more late-night entertainment, the native artist is using it as a staging ground for a very unique interpretation.
While this version will still revolve around the same themes of ambition, masculinity, power and identity, it will instead be set against a late-1970s backdrop, in a world filled with gangsters, casinos and similarly shifting social codes.
Perhaps not as contemporary as current modern-day (we’ve seen plenty of that even in the past couple of decades alone), but it still looks set to be a creative take on the timeless tale; a retelling of Romeo and Juliet is also part of their autumn/winter programme.
Speaking ahead of the debut, Nick said picking Macbeth was a no-brainer. “Macbeth asks profound questions about power, identity and what it means to be a man,” he said. “Those questions feel urgent in a proud industrial town like Oldham that is navigating huge social and economic change.
“I want to blow the dust off Shakespeare. This isn’t about putting the play on a pedestal; it’s about creating an experience that grabs people by the throat, whether they have seen Macbeth ten times or never encountered it before.
“We want people who have never set foot in a theatre to walk into Liquid & Envy and feel this story belongs to them. Staging Macbeth inside a working Oldham nightclub creates its own intrigue.”
Martina Murphy, Chief Executive of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, went on to add: “This is a huge moment for the Coliseum. Nick’s Macbeth is uncompromising, thrilling and unmistakably of this place, and it announces exactly the kind of theatre we intend to make.
“As we continue our journey back to Fairbottom Street, we are determined to keep creating ambitious work that surprises audiences and reaches people wherever they are. Macbeth demonstrates that the Coliseum isn’t waiting for its building to return before making theatre of national significance.”
Check out the full list of scheduled performances set to arrive later this year:
Macbeth at Liquid and Envy in Oldham – 2026 dates
October
Friday 23 – 1:30pm (preview)
Saturday 24 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm (previews)
Monday 26 – 7pm (preview)
Tuesday 27 – 7pm (press night)
Wednesday 28 – 7pm
Thursday 29 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Friday 30 – 6:30pm
Saturday 31 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm
November
Monday 2 – 7pm
Tuesday, 3 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Wednesday, 4 – 7pm
Thursday, 5 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Friday, 6 – 6:30pm
Saturday, 7 – 6:30pm
It’s also worth noting that these shows have been put together with accessibility in mind, with the two-week season including a relaxed performance, an audio-described version, a fully captioned version, as well as two interpreted with British Sign Language. Things we love to hear.
The Coliseum’s new Creative Director has also ensured that tickets remain affordable, with £15 concessions and preview passes costing just £20, as well as a discount for Oldham locals.
You can see the full list of ticket options and find out more information about this exciting production right HERE.
Safe to say that we can’t wait to see how this thing turns out. It’s not the only inventive theatrical take on a classic that’s coming to Greater Manchester later this year, either; find out more down below.
Daisy Jackson -
16th December 2023 
