Caroline Starmer, 28, says a security guard ordered her to stop breast feeding (Picture: NTI)

A mother has claimed she was ordered to stop breastfeeding by a Primark security guard who then pulled her baby from her.

Caroline Starmer, 28, was in the children’s section of the shop in Leicester feeding daughter, Paige.

Primark this afternoon denied the allegation.

Ms Starmer said the security guard told her ‘if you want your baby back, follow me’.


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After getting Paige back she said: ‘I was completely shocked, one minute I was feeding Paige in a discreet area of the store and suddenly I was being challenged by a security guard and he was walking off with my baby.



‘He said to me “you can’t do that here, you will have to vacate the premises”.

‘When I tried to explain my daughter needed feeding and it was my right to breastfeed wherever I wanted he just ripped Paige off my breast.’

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Caroline made her comments on Free to Feed’s Facebook page (Picture: Facebook)

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‘The pain was excruciating, because she was pulled off my breast against her will, she instantly clamped down with her two bottom teeth causing a lot of pain to me.

‘I was stunned, I didn’t know what to do, this stranger had hold of my daughter and was walking off with her screaming while I had my breast exposed and my other daughter in the pushchair.

‘When I regained my senses I sprinted after him and stood in front of him. I grabbed Paige off him and he just sneered at me and walked off.

‘I was so shocked I left the store and went straight to the police station.. I rang my husband who was at home with our other kids and he was fuming.’

Primark said this afternoon:

‘The CCTV footage, reviewed by store management, shows the customer in the Leicester store quite clearly during the time in question. We can see no evidence that she was approached by anyone during this period. ‘We have spoken to the security guards on duty. They categorically deny behaving in the way alleged. Furthermore the individuals do not fit the description given by the customer. ‘We have therefore concluded that the customer allegation is not supported by the available evidence to date. The company would obviously be happy to work with any police investigation into this incident, should this be needed. ‘We have tried to contact the customer to reassure her about Primark’s practice on breastfeeding.’

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