PLANS to move a world-renowned breastfeeding clinic in Oxford have been put on hold.

Last month, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust announced the closure of the popular clinic at the John Radcliffe Hospital. It opened there in 1991.

But now the clinic has been given a reprieve, and campaigners this week warned hospital managers that they would have a fight on their hands if they tried to resurrect the plans.

The closure proposal prompted fierce opposition from hundreds of mothers who have experienced problems breastfeeding and have been helped by staff, including founder Chloe Fisher, who co-wrote the guide Bestfeeding.

Following protests, including the threat of a demonstration at the hospital, the trust said the clinic would not be closing, but would instead move from Level Six in the women's centre, to a number of different rooms on Level One.

The trust said the move, originally due to have taken place on Monday, was necessary because the space used by the clinic was required for the Silver Star unit, which treats women with complications in pregnancy.

Campaigners opposed the move, claiming Level One was not such a good location for breastfeeding mothers, and trust managers have withdrawn the plan - although they have not said for how long.

Jane Ramsey, 38, of Maidcroft Road, Florence Park, Oxford, who used the clinic twice with her two children, son Rowan, aged five months, and daughter Roisin, two, said it was "brilliant news" that the clinic was not moving. She added: "A lot of mums who have been helped by the clinic were shocked that the clinic was going to close, or move to somewhere less suitable.

"It seems as if the trust has listened to us - for now. One of the positive things to come out of this is that there is now a very strong network of mums out there who will do everything they can to protect the clinic if it comes under threat again.

"We can understand the trust wanting to expand its services in towns and villages throughout Oxfordshire, but not at the expense of the clinic, which is a centre of excellence."

Mrs Ramsey said staff at the clinic helped her with her first child, when her milk supply dried up and her baby started to lose weight.

"I felt sad and desperate and thought I was the only woman in the world who could not breastfeed her baby but staff at the clinic reassured me and I met other mums who were experiencing similar problems," she added.

Helen Peggs, a spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, confirmed that the clinic would continue to support mothers on Level Six.

She added: "The trust is at present in discussions with colleagues in primary care, and members of staff, to formulate proposals for effective breastfeeding support, accessible to all Oxfordshire mothers who choose to breastfeed.

"We are reviewing skills and gathering thoughts of staff, other health professions and the many lay volunteers that assist us, to build on existing structures to achieve a sustainable service commensurate with the financial resources available.

"If these proposals recommend changes to the provision of the current service, in line with the objectives above, the trust will discuss these with the public."