LETTERS: Where mothers are welcome to breast-feed, with an audience or without Breast-feeding mothers are welcome at CastleCourt shopping centre

Your article "Breast is best, but not in public" (28 July) describes how the CastleCourt Shopping Centre's security office viewed two women breast-feeding their babies and sent a cleaner to tell them to move, as breast-feeding was banned in other than allocated areas.

CastleCourt has no policy on breast-feeding in public and nursing mothers are welcome. No member of staff has ever been instructed to prevent women from breast-feeding.They can do so wherever they wish, and a mother and baby room is available for those who desire privacy. To prevent vandalism, it is kept locked, but a notice on the door advises that a female attendant in the adjoining Ladies' Room will open it at any time.

A full investigation was made after this incident was first reported. The management discovered that a security guard, who is not employed by CastleCourt and acting on his own volition, asked a cleaner, who is also not employed by CastleCourt, to advise the two ladies that there was a mother and baby room in the centre. The cleaner approached the twowomen and, in a helpful manner, did so. In order to save them embarrassment, she also advised them that security cameras were in operation.

The centre's CCTV cameras do not watch breast-feeding mothers. The centre's management have viewed the videos from cameras in the area of the incident when it occurred, and the breast-feeding mothers are not on camera.

In closing, I would advise that CastleCourt is an air-conditioned shopping centre maintained at 65 degrees Fahrenheit and that within its public areas there are no "hot and sticky afternoons".

Alex Bell

CastleCourt Investments Ltd

Belfast