A BBC radio DJ at the centre of a storm of controversy over his "revolting" comments about breastfeeding in public has been suspended.

BBC Radio Solent presenter Alex Dyke will not be presenting his mid-morning show on BBC Radio Solent today following the suspension last night.

It came after outraged listeners called for him to be sacked following the outburst in which he said “librarian-type, moustached” women should not be allowed to breast feed in public.

The host was forced to apologise on air for his comments which led thousands of people to vent their fury on social media, but now he has been taken off air pending an investigation.

Furious listeners took to Twitter and Facebook while a 7,000-strong petition is now calling for his resignation.

The row was sparked on Wednesday morning when, just minutes into his show, he started to talk about breastfeeding.

He said: “It is 2015. Ladies, mums; we don’t like breast feeding 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 breast feed on the bus. I didn’t know where to look.

"She’s putting me in an embarrassing situation.

“I didn’t realise what was going on. I thought she was cuddling a baby and then I realised.

"I wanted to look away but the bus was packed.

"Breast feeding 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 okay 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. ”

He then told a woman caller: “Some women see this as their rite of passage. You wouldn’t get yummy-mummies doing it ?

"Making love is the most natural thing in the world but you wouldn’t do it on the number 15.

"I blame the earth-mothers, the ones who wear Hessian.”

One angry woman replied: “The man is uninformed and a misogynist. He should not be allowed to spout inaccurate and offensive idiocy on a publicly funded radio station."

Senior policy adviser at NCT Rosemary Dodds added: “We’re disappointed about these outdated, ridiculous and potentially damaging comments. No mother should ever be made to feel guilty, judged or ashamed about feeding their baby, whether by breast or bottle."

A BBC spokesperson said: “Following unacceptable comments made on air Alex Dyke has been suspended pending an investigation."