IPSWICH: A pregnant mum has criticised staff at an insurance branch for refusing to let her and her young son use their office toilet for health and safety reasons.

Sarah Miles, who is six months pregnant with her second child, had popped into Swinton Car Insurance in Princes Street with her two-year-old son Archie, to sort out her no claims bonus.

However when Mrs Miles, 29, of Glamorgan Road, Ipswich, wanted to take her son to the toilet, staff refused, saying she could not use the facilities for “health and safety reasons”.

The company have since apologised for the error, claiming there was confusion among their staff.

Mrs Miles, who ended up calling her husband Terry, to take Archie to another toilet in town while she got her no claims bonus sorted, is still angry about what happened.

She said: “It’s another case of political correctness gone mad. I can’t believe the lack of empathy I was shown.

“What possible health and safety implications could there be? That my son could be flushed down the loo? That I could go into labour?

“I could understand if the toilet was broken or if I had been abusive. But I’m a pregnant woman with a young son.

“The same situation has happened to us in numerous other shops in Ipswich where staff have been only too happy to help us.”

A spokeswoman for Swinton Insurance said: “We realise that an unfortunate error was made, due to confusion amongst the branch staff.

“We have apologised unreservedly to Mrs Miles for the inconvenience, and any embarrassment caused.”

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