Missing teenager found in Australia

Christopher Ballintyne lived in Australia for ten years until 1998

A teenager from Sussex who went missing in Australia, just hours after arriving in the country, has been found.

Christopher Ballintyne, had abandoned his luggage, including his passport, at the side of a road.

The 17-year-old from Eastbourne flew to Melbourne, where he used to live, without telling his family he was going.

Police in Australia said they were concerned for his safety, but on Tuesday said he had been found safe and well.

The last positive sighting of him had been just two hours after he arrived at Melbourne International Airport early last Wednesday.

Dumped his belongings

Victoria Police said he went through Customs at about 0100 local time (1600 BST) and was last seen at about 0300 local time in the Somerville area, just south of Melbourne.

They said Mr Ballintyne went to his old house and when he found another family living there, dumped his belongings outside.

At about 0630 local time his luggage was found on the side of Jones Road in Somerville, police said.

Mr Ballintyne was born in the UK but he and his family emigrated from Glasgow to Australia in 1988, before returning to the UK in 1998, when he was 12.

The family then settled in Sussex, but he still had relatives in the Melbourne area.

Interviewed by police

It was thought he had not told any relatives in the UK or Australia he was travelling to Melbourne.

Victoria Police set up check points on Jones Road in the early hours of Monday, hoping to find motorists who were also there last Wednesday.

They said he contacted police on Monday and had been interviewed at a police station in Hastings, Victoria.

Police said Mr Ballintyne had been staying locally since arriving in Australia last Wednesday and had now been reunited with his Australian relatives.