A new mother was left in floods of tears after being called a ‘slut’ by two customers for breastfeeding in Costa coffee. Rhea Holley was with a friend, both with new babies, in Costa Coffee in Purley, south London, when her son Arthur began to cry for a feed.
The 27-year-old, from Faversham in Kent, said she knew that Costa Coffee was ‘breast-feeding friendly’ and so she started to feed her 11-month old. Within seconds, however, a couple sitting nearby started calling her a ‘slut’ and telling her she was ‘disgusting’ and that her feeding the baby in public was ‘offensive’.
Mrs Holley said she was left in ‘floods of tears’ after being abused by the couple, who were in their 60s. She spoke to Costa Coffee workers, who ‘reprimanded the couple’, telling them breastfeeding was allowed in public.
One barista told the couple that The Equality Act 2010 bans anyone asking a breast-feeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport and warned them to stop being abusive.
Speaking after the incident in Brighton Road, Purley, mother-of-one Rhea said: 'Arthur was asleep at the time so I went in and ordered us some drinks and cake. 'While we sat there Arthur woke up and he was quite upset and so I started to breast-feed him.
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