Poll: After 44 years in The Sun has page three had its day?
Government ministers have welcomed reports that the Sun has dropped Page 3 girls - with one branding the controversial feature "old-fashioned sexism".
Britain's best-selling tabloid has not published pictures of topless glamour models since Friday, and has reportedly decided to quietly drop the feature.
The Conservative Cabinet minister said: "This is a long-overdue decision and marks a small but significant step towards improving media portrayal of women and girls. I very much hope it remains permanent."
It also received the backing of Liberal Democrat women's and equalities minister Jo Swinson - although she criticised the decision to run pictures of two Hollyoaks actresses in their bikinis on today's Page 3 instead.
She said: "I am delighted that the old-fashioned sexism of Page 3 could soon be a thing of the past.
The Times reported today that The Sun will no longer feature topless glamour models after "quietly dropping" the controversial feature after 44 years.
But the tabloid has refused to confirm the report, which its head of public relations Dylan Sharpe said "is all just speculation, it is all wild speculation".
Former glamour model Nicola McLean, 33, said she was "sad" at the reports.
She told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I don't think it is outdated. I think the girls still look fantastic on the page, they still clearly enjoy what they are doing, people still want to see it.
