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WATTON, England, Nov 22, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A British woman said she felt "like a criminal" when police in Watton, England, warned her about breastfeeding her baby in public, a report said.
Margaret Boyle-White said she left a post office recently to tend to her crying 6-month-old child, Niamh. But after five minutes of breastfeeding outside, a police officer arrived.
"He then asked me to refrain from breastfeeding in public," Boyle-White told The London Daily Mail. "He said he could not 'do me' for it, but suggested that I use a restaurant or cafe in future.
"I couldn't believe it. He made me feel like a criminal for doing something which is perfectly natural," Boyle-White said.
The incident prompted Labor Party member David Kidney to introduce a bill in Parliament to levy a nearly $4,300 fine for interfering with a woman's right to breastfeed publicly.
Police defended the action as being handled in a professional, discreet manner.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2005 by United Press International
