15 December 2011 Last updated at 11:09 ET

Breastfeeding mothers stage protest in Brighton centre

Up to 40 mothers braved the cold weather to feed their babies in Brighton

A group of nursing mothers staged a protest in Brighton over the right to breastfeed in public.

Up to 40 mothers braved the cold weather to feed their babies in the centre of Brighton.

The gathering was organised by Claire Jones-Hughes, 38, who was told by diners at a restaurant in the city the sight of her breastfeeding was "unpleasant".

"You usually get nice comments when you're with a baby," she said.

She organised the protest online and said she wanted to raise awareness of the issues surrounding mothers feeding their babies in public.

'Cover-up more'

"I've had comments from all over the country about how great it is to make a stand," she said.

"I've got two daughters who may have children themselves one day.

"If they choose to breastfeed in the future I'd never want anyone to make them feel how I felt."

Ms Jones-Hughes said was in a vegetarian restaurant in Brighton when she was approached by four women and a man.

They told her she should have "covered up more" while feeding her four-month old daughter Callie.

A survey earlier in the year showed more than two-thirds of mothers in Brighton and Hove were breastfeeding their six to eight-week-old babies.

On average, fewer than half of mothers across England breastfeed their babies of the same age, the study showed.