Breast is best was the message as mothers gathered outside Brighton's newest landmark today.

The group were at Brighton Festival's distinctive Udderbelly venue to highlight Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

The purple upside-down cow was the ideal spot to reinforce the point that cow's milk is best for baby cows but mum's milk is best for children.

Anosha (crct) Brown, 39, from Brighton, has been breastfeeding seven-month-old Freya since birth.

She said: "It was something I had always planned to do. Not only were there the health benefits for her and me but there was also the intimacy that makes it so important.

"Brighton is generally pretty good about breastfeeding but it would be nice to see it promoted more.

"There are a number of shops around where it is tolerated but no signs indicating that it is welcome.

"There are some places with great facilities such as the Jubilee Library but I have been into some shops that have areas set aside that are grotty or you have to go into the toilet."

Dani Sunshine (crct), 25, from Hove, breastfed her two-and-a-half year old son Adam Quinn and is now training to be a breastfeeding counsellor.

She said: "I had not particularly decided what to do about feeding but when I was pregnant I was given information about breastfeeding and decided it was the right thing for me.

"On the whole I have not experienced major problems but there was one occasion when Adam was very little when a ticket collector on a train told me to go into the toilet to breastfeed him.

"I did at the time but now I am more experienced I would refuse to because it was a disgusting place to have to go into."

The breastfeeding co-ordinator for Brighton and Hove's children and young people's trust, Lynda Watson, said the city's take up rate for breastfeeding was more than 80 per cent but some areas were much higher than others.