Café staff told me baby’s pushchair was health hazard (From Worcester News)

Café staff told me baby’s pushchair was health hazard

8:29am Monday 5th May 2008 in

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A WORCESTER mum claims she was left feeling embarrased when staff at a city centre restaurant said her pushchair was too much of a health and safety risk to waitresses.

Rachel Coopey said she felt "embarrased and mortified" that she could not eat at The Lounge WR1, High Street, with her three-month-old son Micah.

However, the restaurant's director Seamus Keane said he did not refuse her custom. He said he wanted her to sit in a particular part of the building because he was worried his waitresses could spill hot drinks over customers when serving tables after a woman recently tripped over a pram in the restaurant and hurt her head.

Mother-of-two Miss Coopey, aged 25, of London Road, went to The Lounge about lunchtime on Thursday, April 24.

"I had the pram quite close to me and my table and there was room to move around it," she said. "Then this man just appeared and said no, you can't sit there. I will find you somewhere else to sit'.

"He couldn't, and started to tell me where other cafés were. I said I knew where a lot of other cafés were but I wanted to go there because it had been refurbished recently and I thought I'd try it out but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"He said it was health and safety and he couldn't have a buggy in because of the waitresses.

"It upset me to be honest. Café shops are the sort of places in town that attract a lot of people with children and I just felt embarrased and mortified."

Mr Keane said his business is child-friendly but, following a £200,000 refurbishment to the premises which used to be Hodgson café, the layout of the restaurant dicates he can only accomodate a limited number of prams.

"I had an incident where a customer tripped over and she gashed her head and that was because a pram was stuck out on the side," he said.

"We are the only restaurant in Worcester where waitresses pour and serve at the table.

"If a waitress comes around and spills hot coffee on their child they are not going to say don't worry', I'm going to get shot."