A NEW 'drop-in' centre aimed at encouraging young mums to breastfeed is to open in Hyndburn.

The advice centre, at the New Era in Paradise Street, Accrington, will welcome its first new mothers on Thursday.

Patricia Roberts, a health visitor who works with the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Health Care Trust, said: "Breast feeding is best fast food takeaway there is.

"Any mum who is thinking of giving breast feeding a try, and is wanting support, will be able to drop in each week for a chat.

"We're also keen to help mothers who are keen to continue breast feeding for the full six months but who may be having problems."

Trained infant feeding advisers will be at the New Era, a community centre for young people, every Thursday between 11.30am and 1pm. Patricia said they had chosen the venue because it already hosts a social services initiative called New Roots for young people in Accrington.

And they particularly wanted to target new mums in this age group -- including women from Asian backgrounds, who were often not exposed to breast feeding images.

The opening of the 'drop-in' will coincide with National Breastfeeding Awareness Week next week. Patricia said health experts were keen to get across the message that breast milk was the perfect food, providing everything a baby needed for the first sixth months of its life, and protecting them from illnesses like gastro-enteritis and childhood diabetes.

And she dispelled a popular myth. "Women who breast feed regain their figures sooner than women who bottle feed," she said.