CATHY FLANAGAN, of Southwark, London, writes:

My family and I had been very much looking forward to our trip to Dartmouth, a place we regularly visit to see my father.

We have a five-year-old son and in previous years we have really enjoyed wandering the cobbled streets, soaking up the atmosphere and stopping for lunch or coffee in one of the many wonderful cafes.

So this year, when we visited a cafe for lunch, a place we had eaten in on our last trip, we were shocked to be told we couldn't come in because our son was under seven. No explanation or apology was given.

We found this not only annoying but really upsetting as my son kept asking us to explain why.

We set off again and entered a another cafe, again we were told we couldn't come in because our son was under seven.

I must say this is a policy that not only reflects poorly on the establishments that refused us entry but also influenced how we felt about the supposed welcoming nature of Dartmouth.

This does a great disservice to those cafes and restaurants that do welcome families.

I can understand if a pub or bar decides to put an age limit on entry but a cafe?

We travel all over the country and we have never encountered this before.

We, and I am sure many other families out there, find this policy quite simply offensive.