A MUM says she was appalled after being charged for hot water to heat up baby food at a family restaurant in Weymouth.

Jessica Johnson and her family had already shelled out around £15 on meals at McDonald’s at the Jubilee Retail Park.

So she was stunned when staff charged her 99p for the water so she could feed hungry seven-month-old Bo – without even telling her.

“I was absolutely disgusted,” she said. “Considering they’re supposed to be a family restaurant, it was a real kick in the teeth.”

Jessica, 38, visited the restaurant with husband Mark, two-year-old son Chay, baby Bo and another family of four for Sunday lunch.

The party tucked into adult orders and Happy Meals before Jessica asked staff for the hot water as she ordered dessert.

She had a small plastic tub of baby food which she wanted to warm through for Bo.

Jessica, from Portland, said: “The girl behind the counter didn’t even say a word, she just started ringing through another price on the register.

“I said, ‘you’re kidding, you’re not charging me are you?’ I was appalled – we’d already spent at least £15.

“Unfortunately, I was coming down with a nasty chest infection and I didn’t feel like making a fuss. Bo was hungry so I thought I’d better just pay for it.”

Full-time mum Jessica says she was told staff had to charge 99p – the same price as a cup of tea at McDonald’s.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I wasn’t arguing over the price, I was arguing over why they see fit to charge you at all.

“It feels like they’re discriminating against people with babies. The irony was the water I paid for wasn’t even hot enough, so Bo had to have her food cold anyway.”

Jessica, of Fancy’s Close, says she will go prepared if she takes Bo and her family to a McDonald’s restaurant again.

“I’m not the sort of person to say ‘I’m never going back’,” she added. “But I’ll definitely take my own Thermos flask next time.

“I suggest other parents do the same. Hopefully, in the meantime McDonald’s will have a rethink.”

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “We are very sorry for this mistake.

“We are delighted to heat baby bottles free of charge, and we have reiterated this procedure to the team at Weymouth.

“The restaurant manager was very sorry to hear of this genuine mistake and we are now taking steps to deal with the complaint appropriately.”

* Have you been charged for heating up your baby’s bottle? Call the Dorset Echo newsdesk on 01305 830995