It should have been a lovely family day out when two Somerset mums took their children for a lunch-time treat at a local pub.

But the slap-up meal turned out to be a slap in the face for the pair when they discovered they had been branded "Big Girls" by a waiter on their receipt.

One of the women had given birth just days earlier and was enjoying her first trip out of the house with her friend and their children since being discharged from hospital.

But the pair, both 28 and from Bridgwater, were left feeling degraded, embarrassed and insulted after a visit to the Cornhill pub in the town centre.

When they came to settle the bill, they were faced with the word "BIGGIRLS" typed in capital letters across the top of the receipt and alongside their table number.

One of the women said: "Initially, I think we both just felt complete embarrassment – the manager was very sorry and he couldn't believe a member of his staff had written this."

The women and their families had enjoyed a sumptuous meal of garlic bread, melt- in-the-mouth children's chicken strips, eight portions of chips, seven helpings of beans and a bowl of chicken pasta, all washed down with fruit soft drinks for the youngsters followed by a pint of Kronenberg lager and a double vodka and Redbull for the ladies.

The mums felt they had been abused by the waiter and wanted to know why he had chosen to make a derogatory comment about their weight to identify them.

One of the women said: "They could have written anything else – we both have dark hair, why not write that?"

The pub manager apologised and offered them a free meal to compensate but the pair have vowed never to return and say they have even been put off from stepping outside their own homes since the jibe which they say has shattered their confidence.

"We have been offered a free meal but I don't want to go back there – I am never going into town again as I am just so upset," the new-mum said. "It has made it really difficult for me to go out in general.

"The waiter has not been sacked and I just feel completely ashamed.

"How many other people has this happened to?" she added.

Barracuda Group, the company which owns the Cornhill pub, insisted the incident was a one-off.

A spokesman said: "Firstly we'd like to apologise to both women for what happened.

"We have reassured them and would like to take this opportunity to reassure others who visit our premises that this was a one-off incident which we found to be unacceptable."