A Radio Solent DJ has been suspended following comments he made about breastfeeding.

Regular listeners have called for Alex Dyke to be fired after his live broadcast on Wednesday, during which he called breastfeeding “unnatural”.

The Daily Echo understands the BBC has been inundated with complaints after the DJ said that “librarian-type, moustached” women should not be allowed to breastfeed in public.

During his normal 10am broadcast, he said: “It is 2015. Ladies, mums; we don’t like breastfeeding in public, honestly we don’t. I experienced this yesterday. I was on a bus and there was a lady on this bus. She was quite a big girl and she had a toddler with her. She starts to breastfeed her baby on the bus. I didn’t know where to look. She’s putting me in an embarrassing situation.

“I didn’t really realise what was going on. I just thought she was cuddling a baby and then I looked over and I realised. I wanted to look away but the bus was packed. Breastfeeding is unnatural. I know its natural but it’s kind of unnatural.

"It’s the kind of thing which should be done in a quiet and private nursery. We don’t want it in public. It was ok in the Stone Age when we knew no better and people didn’t even have their own teeth. A public area is not the place for it. It’s not a great look. 

He added: "I blame the Earth mothers, you know the ones I mean, the ones with the moustaches, the ones who work in libraries, the ones who wear hessian, the ones they're always on Radio 4 on Women's Hour, they are always pushing the boundaries and making us feel uncomfortable.

"You wouldn't get 'yummy mummies'... breastfeeding in public. Those kind of women wouldn't do it because they're very image-conscious and they know it's not a great look."

The broadcaster, who has apologised, will not present his show on Friday. The BBC has not yet said how long the suspension will last.

A spokesperson for the BBC said Mr Dyke has since apologised for his comments on air.

She said:“It has been made clear to Alex that his comments were unacceptable and he has apologised for any offence caused."

A petition, called ‘Alex Dyke, BBC to be taken off air, after ill educated comments about breastfeeding’, has gained over 5,000 signatures already. The show is currently unavailable to listen to on iPlayer.