A baby cafe has been set up in Gainsborough in a bid to drive up the town's low breastfeeding rates.

NHS advice for new mums is that they exclusively breastfeed their baby for six months.

This gives their tot natural immunity against illnesses and infections as well as lowering a new mum's chances of developing breast and ovarian cancers later in life.

But in Gainsborough just 15 per cent of new mums are exclusively breastfeeding when their baby is six to eight weeks old, significantly lower than a national average of 24 per cent.

And in order to tackle the health issue, Lincolnshire Community Health Services and Lincolnshire County Council have joined forces to provide a new Baby Cafe for the town.

Situated inside the Gainsborough Children's Centre in

Market Arcade, the Baby Cafe drop-in takes place every Tuesday between 12 noon and 1.30pm.

Gainsborough's is the 132nd Baby Cafe to open in the UK with the idea being to provide new mums with a setting where they are comfortable breast feeding while a midwife or health visitor is on hand to give feeding advice.

And today Lord Victor Adebowale, chancellor of the University of Lincoln, will officially open the new facility at 4pm.

Liz Hillman, health coordinator for Lincolnshire Community Health Services, said giving new mums breast feeding support is a priority.

"A Baby Cafe is a national initiative that is recognised by mothers as offering gold standard breastfeeding support," she said.

"Breast milk protects babies against many illnesses and diseases."