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Breastfeeding mayor wins case against council

24/08/2007

A former mayor who sued her council after she was banned from using the civic car for a month because she liked to breastfeed her son during working hours has won her case.

Dr Pauleen Lane, mayor of Trafford between 2005 and 2006, has been awarded £7,000 compensation. The council will also have to pay legal costs, estimated to be about £170,000.

Earlier this year she told Salford county court how she was forced to use her own car on official engagements because the act of feeding her son offended male attendants.

But the attendants said they were concerned that they were being treated as babysitters.

For the first month of her role as mayor she was banned from using the official car and was only allowed to use it for the rest of the year when she paid an adult to accompany her on a journey.

Dr Lane, who plans to give her award to charity, said: "The council could have avoided this court action. Two years ago I offered them the option of giving me an apology and making a £5,000 donation to Trafford Victim and Witness Support. They never got back to me."

The council has said it is disappointed with the outcome and asserted that it takes equalities duties "very seriously".