A GRAYS contact centre has been slammed after publicly reprimanding a Grays mother for breastfeeding.

Rianna Sadler, 22, of Jesmond Road, was attending Oak Tree Family Centre on Hogg Lane with her mother Rachel Lane last week when she was “pulled up” by staff for attending to her nine-and-a-half-month-old baby daughter Marnie.

Ms Sadler said she was “too shocked to respond” when a manager came out and told her she could not breastfeed because the centre was a “public place with children present”.

The April 28 visit to the Hogg Lane centre was so Rachel, 46, also of Jesmond Road, could supervise her nephew on a visit to his father as his legal guardian, during which she did not expect to be “pointed out” by two female staff.

The young mum said: “I’m fuming. I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say. It was the first time something like this has ever happened since Marnie has been born.

“We were sitting in the foyer waiting for my nephew’s father to turn up. Two different women came out and then the manager came out and said you can’t breastfeed here be - cause it’s a public place. Children walk in and out of here.

“I was covered up, you couldn’t see anything, all you could see was the top of my chest. I wasn’t on show, I was very covered up.

“No children were walking in and out. I was so shocked, that I didn’t argue with her.

“If I need to feed my daughter then I will – I always have done. If she needs feeding I feed her. I do cover up and be discreet. But I’m not going to smother my children in lots of blankets if it’s really hot.

“That’s the first time in nine and a half months that anyone’s said anything, and I’ve fed Marnie everywhere – restaurants, shopping centres, stations.

“I didn’t want to argue in front of my nephew as I didn’t want to cause a scene and upset him. But we can’t believe how rude the staff are at the centre. They really need to learn how to deal with the public.”

A spokesman for Thurrock Council said the council was looking into the incident but was in general supportive of parents who choose to breast - feed.

She said: “Thurrock Council is supportive of parents who choose to breastfeed and, where possible, we make facilities available to parents should they wish to use them."