A plan to give mothers a legal right to breastfeed in public has been described as "the nanny state taken to the extreme".

Businesses and public bodies could be fined up to �2,500 for preventing mothers from breastfeeding under proposed legislation from Labour MSP Elaine Smith.

Paul Waterson of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association said the proposals amounted to more "red tape" and could discourage pubs from applying for certificates to allow children into their pubs.

Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said her party was "totally supportive" of the aims behind the Breastfeeding (Scotland) Bill but was against making it a criminal offence.

Elaine Smith: "Health benefits"

Scotland leads the UK for the number of mothers who are still breastfeeding when their babies are six months old.

However, many report being embarrassed about doing it in public in case someone objects.

Ms Smith, the MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, has experienced this first hand as she was stopped from feeding her son by staff in a supermarket cafe.

She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that a change in the law would end discrimination against breastfeeding mothers.

She said: "Certainly a lot of people do recognise the health benefits of breastfeeding, but we do hear stories of mums being harassed and segregated basically if they are trying to feed their hungry babies."

Children's certificates

If Ms Smith's member's bill makes it to the statute book it could introduce fines of up to �2,500 for pubs, cafes and restaurants who tell women not to breastfeed on the premises.

The move has won support from Unicef, the United Nations' Children's Fund and the Royal College of Midwives, which said babies should have the right to be fed as and when required.

Paul Waterson, of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association said: "Pubs have certainly moved on since the spit and sawdust days and we see the children's certificate as vital to that progression.

"We feel that if this legislation is introduced it might stop people applying for children's certificates and stop that progression happening."

Paul Waterson: "Nanny state"

He said: "We don't have a problem with breastfeeding in public but we don't believe you need a law to change a cultural situation.

"This is nanny state taken to the extreme and there is no need for it."

Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said: "This is not the way to move towards a bigger up take of breastfeeding and it's the wrong way to achieve the aims."

The consultation exercise on the proposals was due to run until September 20 after which Ms Smith plans to draft her Bill and submit it to parliament.