Karen Matthews, the mother who kidnapped her own daughter to claim reward money, plans to start a new family with her lover, it has been reported.
The mother-of-seven was jailed for eight years after staging nine-year-old Shannon’s disappearance in order to pocket £50,000.
She was released from Foston Hall prison in Derbyshire in April after serving half of her sentence and now wants to have more children, the Daily Star reported.
Matthews apparently began exchanging letters with the unidentified man while they were both in prison, with him returning to visit her after his release.
Scroll down for more images of Karen's new look and pictures from the hunt for Shannon
Shannon Matthews (left), and her mother (right)
A source said: “She says he is her boyfriend and they are planning to have kids together. They have met up several times since she was released at Easter.
“She is very cagey about him but the thought of Karen bringing more children into the world after what she did to her own daughter is petrifying.”
Along with Michael Donovan, 40, Matthews was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice after her daughter was discovered under a bed in Donovan's home in February 2008.
She had been tied up and drugged. It had taken police 24 days to find her in a hunt which cost £3.2million.
While in prison she is thought to have lost up to two stone and has cut her distinctive, shoulder length hair into a fashionable spiky style, with a floppy fringe. Her locks have also been dyed a rich shade of plum.
Matthews now wears heavy make-up to cover facial scars and moles and in April appeared healthy and happy as she was snapped exclusively by The Sun enjoying a shopping trip with her probation worker.
A source said: “She had to serve only half her sentence and now she has been rewarded with a makeover and a shopping trip. It’s insane.”