Knitted breasts are not something you see every day – but after a donation from keen knitters, Norwich hospital's neonatal intensive care unit are using them help new mums learn to breastfeed.

Funeral arranger, Sandra Hunter, and local volunteer, Cheryl Staff, have been busy knitting 100 breasts in the past three months for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The specially knitted knockers are so that new mums can be shown how to get the maximum amount of milk for their babies.

Ms Hunter, from Beccles, said: 'I rang Norfolk and Norwich Hospital to see if they would like me to knit any baby clothes for them but instead they asked me to knit breasts. I couldn't stop laughing. The knitted breasts make it easier for the hospital to demonstrate breast feeding.'

The unit have now trained 350 hospital staff in breastfeeding management, and say they are seeing 'fantastic' improvements in the care given to new families.

NNUH Infant Feeding Co-ordinators Luisa Lyons and Katie Phillips said: 'We are very grateful for this kind donation, and have been amazed by the generous response to our appeal for knitted breasts last year.

'When babies are preterm or sick, we know that breast milk is even more important – like a medicine to them.'

Members of the community have been donating wool to the keen pair of knitters to add to the wool on their needles.

The pair have now finished knitting breasts and with the help of local knitting groups have moved on to sewing memory bags for newborn's cots on the unit.