Ref. 28480-28TWO women with young children claim they were thrown out of a Gorse Hill caf for having a child's buggy.

Joanne McCloy, 25, of Galsworthy Close, Liden, was enjoying lunch with her two children and her friend Sarah Kerr when the owner of Sun-flowers Tea and Luncheon Rooms asked them to move their buggy or leave.

"If she had asked me politely then maybe it would have been different," said Joanne, a full-time mum.

"But the woman was rude and impolite and I don't think that it was the way to treat a customer.

"Everyone in the caf appeared to be shocked."

Miss McCloy continued to eat her lunch at the caf which is in Cricklade Road, but the owner returned to ask her again to move her buggy.

As a result Miss McCloy asked for her money back because she felt she had not been able to eat the food she had bought.

The owner refused to do so and after further requests for Miss McCloy to move, the owner called the police.

"I thought she was joking when she said she was going to call the police," said Miss McCloy.

"I don't think I was being unreasonable.

"It's certainly difficult with young children at the best of times.

"But when you get someone being so unreasonable it really does get ridiculous.

"Staff in cafes are usually only too happy to help single mums like me.

"They should provide high chairs if they're worried about the space buggies take up."

Miss McCloy was with her children three-year-old son Kynan and her 10-month-old daughter Tinisha when the incident occurred.

Two police officers attended the scene after the owner lodged a complaint about Miss McCloy.

A police spokeswoman said: "We received a complaint about a woman behaving in a threatening manner at this cafe.

"But when the officers arrived at the caf the woman involved in the incident had already left the premises so no further action was taken."

The owner later barred Miss McCloy from the caf.

Miss McCloy's friend, 25-year-old Sarah Kerr of Vale View, Wootton Bassett, said: "The owner was always aggressive in her approach, which I didn't like.

"Whatever happened to old fashioned customer service?

"I won't be hurrying back there."

When the two women first arrived at the caf at about 12.30pm on Friday, it was quiet.

But according to the friends, it soon filled up and was very busy with only three staff to attend to customers.

The owner of the caf, who declined to give her name, said she had no comment to make on the matter.

Emma-Kate Lidbury