Mothers may lose a mobile breastfeeding clinic before the key is even in the ignition if managers fail to find somewhere in Oxford to keep the bus.

Although the Barton Baby Cafe has won £55,000 to set up the wheeled service in an 18-seater midi coach - informally known as the Milk Float - workers have warned they will have to cut their hours on the road if no-one offers them secure parking.

Breastfeeding counsellor Julie Osborne said: "We've got venues to run our service from, but what we're looking for is a home for when it's not being used.

"We're going out three days a week, so we need somewhere to store it when it's not being used and at night and during the weekend. I've tried everywhere, but with no luck. We thought we had somewhere, but it fell through at the last minute.

"We've had offers from outside Oxford, 15 to 20 miles away, but that would increase our costs, so it wouldn't be suitable. If push comes to shove, we'd have to reduce our service to two days a week, because we can't afford to drive it into the city from so far away."

The mobile baby cafe is an old coach donated by Oxfordshire County Council, which is being refurbished by Didcot-based Olympic Coach Builders.

It is due to be handed over in less than a month.

It will start its weekly tours of the city in June, stopping at Donnington Door Step family centre, Cutteslowe Community Centre and Northway tower.

Mrs Osborne said the bus team, including health visitors and volunteers, could help 10 to 12 new mums to breastfeed their babies every day.

She said: "Breast milk is the best food for babies and breastfeeding is free, convenient and the most healthy way to feed a child, but it's also a difficult thing to get to grips with and some women need support.

"We want to introduce breastfeeding in areas where rates are low, and we also want pregnant women to come along as well and be encouraged by mothers already feeding their children."

To ensure the project goes ahead, the baby clinic team need to find secure parking measuring 23ft by 7ft, which has access to mains electricity to recharge the bus's on-board services. Anyone who could help, can call Mrs Osborne on 07746 172022.