It prides itself on being a ‘parent-friendly’ family establishment, but a big boob at Debenhams may have cost the store the custom of the very people it claims to cater for.

Two new mums were left humiliated and fuming when they were told to stop breastfeeding their babies after a member of staff claimed it had upset a customer.

Instead, the pair were told – inaccurately – that it was against company policy to allow breast feeding at the North End department store and were advised to feed their children in the same room where babies’ nappies are changed.

Debenhams has since apologised for the blunder and has invited both women back to the store for a free meal, but the mums feel others may have wrongfully been treated the same way.

Anna Thompson, 32, took her 15-week-old daughter Ruby Walsh to meet friend Katy Park, 41, and her 15-week-old son, Joseph, at Debenhams’ restaurant on Wednesday, March 30.

Anna, a sports journalist from Harrington Road, South Norwood, said: “The whole reason we went there was because it won a parent-friendly award and claims to treat babies as VIPs.

“We were in the children’s area and were discreetly breast feeding our babies when we were approached by a member of staff who said they’d had a complaint from a customer.

“We were told to go to the baby-changing room instead and when I said this was unhygienic I was told it wasn’t Debenhams’ policy to allow breast feeding.

“This is a bit ridiculous considering they have just won an award for being parent-friendly.” The women finished feeding their children but vowed to never set foot in Debenhams again.

Anna added: “We were both shocked and humiliated. We certainly weren’t aware of anyone who was unhappy with us feeding our children.

“I felt like we, as breast-feeding mothers, were being treated like second-class citizens.

“Debenhams have apologised but I am concerned that other mothers may have been told the same thing.” Embarrassingly for Debenhams, this incident undermines the recent ‘parent-friendly’ award it was given by baby charity Tommy’s last month.

The charity, which commended more than 150 companies that ‘go the extra mile’ to alleviate the everyday pressures of being a parent, named Debenhams as best department store in its Parent Friendly Awards 2005.

A Debenhams spokesman said: “It is not our company stance at all and in fact our company policy is that we are more than happy for customers to breast feed in the store or the restaurant, if they want to.

“We have spoken to the member of staff concerned and have reiterated our company policy to make sure they understand.

“We have sent the customer a letter of apology and an invitation to have a meal on us at the restaurant.”