PM Slams Farage Over Breastfeeding Comments

David Cameron has come out firmly in support of women who breastfeed in public, after Nigel Farage said they should "sit in the corner" of restaurants to avoid offending others.

The UKIP leader was questioned about his stance on the issue in his regular LBC radio phone-in.

He said: "I know a lot of people do feel very uncomfortable. This is just a matter of common sense, isn't it?

"Given that some people feel very embarrassed by it, it isn't too difficult to breastfeed a baby in a way that is not openly ostentatious."

Mr Farage said he himself was not particularly bothered about breastfeeding in public but added that restaurants should be allowed to set their own rules.

But Downing Street was quick to criticise the UKIP leader.

A Number 10 spokesman said "It's for Mr Farage to explain his views. The Prime Minister shares the view of the NHS, which is that breast-feeding is completely natural and it's totally unacceptable for any women to be made to feel uncomfortable when breast-feeding in public."

Mr Farage has since responded to the fact that his comments made headlines, saying the story was a "media fabrication".

He said: "What I said was... and it is immensely frustrating that I have to explain this... is that if the establishment in question, in this case Claridges, wants to maintain rules about this stuff, then that is up to them, as it should be.

"I remarked that perhaps they might ask women to sit in a corner. Did I say I believe they should have to? No. Did I say I personally endorse this concept? No."

The row comes after mother-of-three Louise Burns complained that luxury London hotel Claridge’s asked her to put a napkin over her baby daughter's head while she was breastfeeding.

She posted images of the incident on Twitter, which went viral.

Speaking to Sky News before Mr Farage’s comments she said: "I was shocked. I was being very discreet. Frankly you'd see more flesh on display on your average Saturday night out in a town centre than in a room of breastfeeding women."

Claridge's has said that it "embraces" breastfeeding, but the hotel asks women to be "discreet" towards other guests.

Justine Roberts from the parenting group Mumsnet said: "It's bemusing that some people have a problem seeing mums breastfeeding. It is of course a natural, essential human process and those with an issue simply need to get over themselves - babies need to be fed when they're hungry, and there's nothing ostentatious about a mother responding to that need."

Meanwhile, new research has suggested that new mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies for longer to save the NHS money.

The British Medical Journal says it could save the health service £40m pounds per year if babies are breastfed up to the age of 18 months.