Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail Sign up now! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Llandudno restaurant owner has stood by her strict rules on how kids should behave in her establishment.

Cindy Atay, who runs the Mediterranean, found her guidelines for parents making national news headlines after a customer posted them on Facebook.

By lunchtime on Wednesday, the dos and don't for youngsters eating there were the subject of debate on ITV panel show Loose Women.

Mrs Atay, who has run the Mediterranean with her husband Ibo for 25 years, said she was unrepentant about the rules she enforces.

She said warning parents about controlling children and thinking of other guests was "sensible".

Among the rules in place are that kids had to remain seated at all times and that any who were crying should be taken outside.

Mrs Atay told North Wales Live her husband had been threatened since the news of the restaurant's rules broke.

She added: "There are restaurants where kids are welcome but there are glasses on the table, forks, knives, side plates and flower pots in our restaurant.

"We have a fountain and we can't have it on because children have their hands in it and it causes a trip hazard on the floor for our staff with hot plates.

"Some parents come into the restaurant and they think their children can do what they want. Ninety percent of parents are great with their children, but there are a few unfortunately who think they can come on holiday and take a holiday from their parenting, from everything.

"The only parents that are offended are those who want to let their children run around.

(Image: The Mediterranean Restaurant, Llandudno)

"Two children came in to the kitchen two days ago. They should have been with their parents not in the kitchen. One got behind the bar."

poll loading Is the restaurant right to set out the behaviour it will not accept from children to potential customers? 2000+ VOTES SO FAR Yes No

Mediterranean's rules on kids Children must be seated at all times, not left to run around the restaurant. The restaurant can be a very dangerous place; staff carrying hot plates etc. We will not be held responsible for your children if they are hurt in the restaurant because they are not being looked after. Children are the sole responsibility of their guardian while in our restaurant. Children must be accompanied to the toilets for health and safety reasons. Children under eight years old will be served with melamine plates and bowls, due to our porcelain plates being served hot. Crying/Screaming children: The management love children in the restaurant, but we do understand that when children are crying or screaming in the restaurant it does upset our other customers. Customers do not come to listen to screaming children. We ask in the most politest way possible, please if your child is crying/screaming, please take them out of the restaurant until they've calmed down. I really do not want to upset anyone, but we have had complaints in the past. You have to understand people do not come out to listen to crying/screaming children. So please be considerate to others. Unfortunately, if a child cannot be stopped from disturbing other diners we will unfortunately have to ask you to leave the restaurant, which we really would hate to do. I know it would offend and we'd hate that too!!

The customer who originally complained about the restaurant has now taken her Facebook post down claimed Mrs Atay and, despite the original news story claiming the poor review was left on TripAdvisor, it couldn't be found on Wednesday.

Mrs Atay claimed the woman who complained online had no children with her and had been upset because she had been forced to wait for 20 minutes while her husband went to a cashpoint, so they could pay for their meal.

A snap poll on ITV 's Loose Women on Wednesday afternoon showed 66% of viewers supported kicking noisy children out of restaurants.

Janet Street Porter, whose her aunt lives in Llandudno , gave her total support for the Mrs Atay's rules.

(Image: ITV)

She said: "It's fantastic. The lady is trying to run a restaurant, they have got to have rules. It's adult time and most children will be in bed by 8pm at night."

Ruth Langsford said she was not allowed to run around in restaurants when she was a child. Although she did bring up the subject of accommodating children with special needs.

(Image: The Mediterranean Restaurant, Llandudno)

Mrs Atay, who ran a nursing agency in Colwyn Bay for 20 years before taking up the reins at the restaurant, said: "I looked after children with special needs so I am quite capable of coping with special needs children. There are always exceptions to the rules."

She added: "I don't accept that it makes us sound like we don't like children. We have grandchildren.

"I was speaking to a customer the other day and she said it was a good tool to read the rules to her daughters to make them behave in the restaurant, because she could read it out to them.

"If you are there having a romantic meal do you want a baby that's screaming blue murder? I know when you're away you have to take your children out with you but most people try their best to get them into bed early.