VENUES across Southampton are being encouraged to support breastfeeding mums.

Health bosses are encouraging businesses to sign up to the Southampton’s Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme in a bid to support those mums who have decided to breast feed their babies in the city.

The appeal is part of World Breastfeeding Week which will run until Monday, August 7.

Since the scheme was launched back in 2015, more than 140 businesses across the city have signed up as Breastfeeding Welcome venues, including the Dancing Man Brewery and Mettricks in Guildhall Square.

Now city health bosses are renewing their appeal in a bid to change attitudes towards breastfeeding in public and support mums.

Debbie Chase, service lead for public health at Southampton City Council, said: “World Breastfeeding Week is our chance to come together as a community to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding for mum and baby.

“It’s also an opportunity to speak out in support of a mother’s right to breastfeed in public spaces.

“It’s great that so many businesses in Southampton have already signed up for the Breastfeeding welcome scheme and we want to encourage even more to do so.

“We want to make breastfeeding as easy as possible within our city.”

Official data issued by the city council showed that between 2016 and 2017, 76 per cent of mothers in Southampton started breastfeeding following their baby’s birth.

Breastfeeding is believed to have several benefits for both mothers and babies including reducing the risk of a number of health conditions such as infections and allergies.

Now businesses are all encouraged to support breastfeeding mums in the city.

City councillor Sarah Bogle said: “We want to show mums who choose to breastfeed that we are a city that will defend their right to do so and support them in every way.”

Venues that sign up to the breastfeeding welcome scheme will be asked to display a pink and white sticker to let mums know that they are welcome to breastfeed their babies there.

The drive comes as it was revealed that the UK has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in Europe, with just a third of babies receiving breast milk at the age of six months.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said schoolchildren should be taught the importance of the practice.