A FAMILY have slammed a cafe after the chef’s dog ate a brioche bun out of their baby’s hands.

First time mother Rachel Holmes was sitting in Whitecliffs Cafe on Saltdean seafront with her 13-month-old son Lincoln when the large mongrel dog tied up nearby attempted to take a bite out of the bun.

The bite caused no serious damage to Lincoln but the family said the incident could have been a lot worse.

They said they were “disappointed” when they were asked to leave after complaining.

Mrs Holmes said: “All we wanted was an apology but the chef’s disgusting attitude and the gormless owner made it 1,000 times worse.

“I was calling the police on 101 and the dog warden while they rolled their eyes at me. People came up to us to make sure we were OK because they were horrified.”

Mrs Holmes says she was “in floods of tears” after the incident, which happened last Sunday.

She was holding the baby while husband Chris argued with the owner.

She said: “It wasn’t the dog’s fault, he just shouldn’t have been around people if he has the tendency to bite things out of people’s hands.

“My son was putting food to his face, what if the dog had bitten his face? Other families who were in the restaurant left in disgust.”

Since the incident, others who claim to have been in the cafe at the time have left negative reviews online.

One reviewer posting on website Tripadvisor wrote: “This could have been so much worse.”

Another wrote: “We felt forced to leave because of the man behind the counter’s disgusting attitude towards the couple.

“He was so rude and not apologetic at all.”

The cafe in Marine Drive, Saltdean, which is dog friendly, has recently been taken over by new owners.

A spokesman said: “We at White Cliffs are saddened by this unfortunate incident and apologise for any upset caused to all of our customers at the time. In light of events we will now take some time to review our current policy on animals in and on the premises and will of course keep our customers informed of any changes made as a result.

“As the new management team, we are constantly striving to review and improve the service that we provide.”