Harriet Harman has spoken out against Page 3 girls, telling Sky News on Sunday that tabloid pictures of topless females are not "the right thing for women in the 21st century".

While Labour's deputy leader said she did not want to "ban" Page 3 in newspapers, she said it demeaned women.

“I’m not saying that we should ban it, but I think that women in the 21st century who are going out to work, who are bringing up their children, who are playing a full role in public life, I think that the idea that women are sex objects to be posing in their knickers to be leered at by men in a national newspaper - I don’t think that that’s the right thing for women in the 21st century.”

Her comments come a month after the Liberal Democrats called to restrict "sexualised images" in newspapers during their conference.

The Sun reported that former MP Evan Harris held up photos of page 3 girls during a debate in Birmingham, and argued they - and the Sun newspaper - should only be on the top shelf at newsagents.

"OK, these images can be available for adults if they want to access them, but they should have to reach up to a higher shelf than what is at the general view for young people."