Karen Matthews ‘signs on’ at Job Centre after leaving carer role

'Britain's worst mum' was jailed in 2008 after she faked her nine-year-old daughter Shannon's abduction to try and claim reward money.

Karen Matthews has been seen outside the Job Centre after getting ‘sacked’ just weeks after getting a job as a carer.

The woman dubbed ‘Britain’s worst mum’ was jailed in 2008 after she faked her nine-year-old daughter Shannon’s abduction to try and claim reward money.

She was snapped at a Job Centre in the south of England close to her home.

Matthews had been getting paid to look after an elderly woman she met at church, but after just a few weeks of cooking and cleaning, was allegedly let go for getting ‘too close’ to the pensioner’s husband.

The woman, 65, needed a carer while she recovered after a hospital stay

Her husband, 70, is said to have claimed their relationship was an innocent friendship.

A source close to the couple told the Mirror: ‘They are devout Christians and took pity on Karen after meeting her at church.

‘They know what she did but gave her a second chance.

‘They paid her to come round every day to help care for the woman and do the housework. At first, things were great and they were glad of the help in the house but soon things became tense.’

Matthews staged her own daughter’s kidnapping after being inspired by Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and the huge amount of money donated towards the family.

Shannon was found alive 24 days later, stuffed inside the base of a divan bed in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Alongside her boyfriend’s uncle Michael Donovan, Matthews was jailed for eight years for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and perverting the course of justice.

She previously denied having a married sugar daddy, Eric Anderson, who allegedly gave her cash and took her out to KFC.