Man-eater Pat Higgins is set to tie the knot with her ninth husband-a toyboy 32 years her junior.

The 56-year-old serial bride from the UK has hooked store worker Mark Sanderson, 24, and the pair held an engagement party recently.

Horrified friends said Mark is besotted with her although she's seven years older than his mother.

"It's his first proper girlfriend and he's fallen head over heels. But he's ended up with someone who eats younger men for breakfast," the Sun quoted a friend as saying.

Pat had been wed three times before Mark was even born, marrying her first husband back in 1974. Her shortest marriage lasted five days.

All her hubbies have been younger than her.

Previously she has said: "I'm hooked on marriage.

"But men my own age are boring and I'm certainly not ready for the shawl and hot milk just yet."

Mark's horrified mum Jennifer and stepdad Stephen snubbed the marriage.

A friend said: "No one in his family is happy and it's no surprise.

"They knew she had a bit of a background but they had no idea she'd been married eight times before.

"His mum and stepdad pleaded and tried to make him see sense but it's hard to tell a lad of that age."(ANI)