'Britain's worst mum': Remember Karen Matthews, who kidnapped her own daughter for the reward? Here's what she's up to now
Karen Matthews, the woman who has unofficially been crowned "Britain's Worst Mum", has been spotted shopping at Mothercare as her daughter, Shannon, celebrated her 20th birthday on September 9. 43-year-old Matthews was seen looking through toys and baby grows in a small town that lies in the south of England, where she moved to after she was released from prison. The mother, who has seven children, had been sent to jail for eight years in 2008 after she faked the abduction of her daughter in a case that shocked the nation at the time. Shannon had only been 9-years-old at the time and had been drugged and kept hidden under a bed.
The mother had planned to use the situation to her advantage and get the reward money for finding her own daughter. She was seen all by herself last week. Matthews wore a checked shirt along with sunglasses while she was seen holding a carrier bag and a Super Dry satchel. She was seen a little later on the same day eating food from McDonald's on a public bench after she went shopping in Poundland. The Sun reported that Matthews is all set to go under a new identity.