The remains of a two-year-old boy, who went missing in the French Alps in July, have been found near where he disappeared, according to local media reports.
Bones, including a skull, were discovered by a walker near Le Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on Saturday.
Forensic tests showed they belonged to the boy, known only as Emile, French broadcaster BFMTV said, quoting prosecutors.
Some reports named him as Émile Soleil.
Prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon said: “On Saturday, the police were told of the discovery of bones near the hamlet of Le Vernet.”
After testing them, police concluded on Sunday that “they were the bones of the child Emile,” he added.
Mr Blachon, who was quoted by France24, did not give a cause of death, but said that forensic investigators were continuing to analyse the remains, while police carried out further searches.
The boy was last seen by two witnesses walking down a street near his grandparents’ house on 8 July last year, according to authorities at the time.
He had arrived in the area the day before to stay with his maternal grandparents for the summer holidays.
