Breastfeeding mothers stage protest in a Bristol cafe

Hundreds of women gathered at a cafe in Bristol to protest against the way a breastfeeding mother was treated.

Kelly Schaecher said she was "discreetly feeding" her five-month-old baby at Park Cafe in Park Street when she was told she "was being impolite" and asked to move to a corner.

Ms Schaecher said the incident had left her feeling angry and upset.

But cafe manager, Davide Pontini, said it was a misunderstanding as the cafe had always been breastfeeding friendly.

Ms Schaecher, who is currently on maternity leave from the University of Bristol, posted details of her experience on three online forums for mothers.

She received a huge response and more than 300 people signed up to take part in a breastfeeding protest at the cafe earlier.

"If this happened to someone just starting to feed it would really knock their confidence and I think it's just wrong," said Ms Schaecher.

"And I wanted to show that that behaviour is not acceptable in Bristol or in the country."

Mr Pontini, the cafe's owner, has since apologised to Ms Schaecher but said the request had been "lost in translation".

"The intention at the time was literally - would you rather be in a more concealed place - because obviously we have big windows," he said.

"We have always been breast feeding friendly, the cafe's laid out to accommodate mothers breast feeding and it happens on a daily basis."