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The Sun newspaper will no longer feature topless women on Page Three, the Times has reported.
The Times, which has the same publisher as the Sun, said it understood Friday's edition of the Sun was the last which would carry images of topless women, although they would continue online.
Page Three has been a Sun feature for 44 years but has been criticised for being sexist and outdated.
The Sun's press office would neither confirm nor deny the reports.
Dylan Sharpe, the Sun's head of public relations tweeted: "Page 3 will be in the Sun tomorrow in the same place it's always been - between page 2 and page 4."
'Right direction'
The Sun had already stopped carrying topless images at weekends, and sometimes did the same during the week.
Page Three of the Sun featured model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in lingerie on Monday and Hollyoaks actresses Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna appeared in bikinis on a beach on Tuesday.
The Times, which is a News UK title, said the paper had decided to quietly drop the feature. It reported that News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch is understood to have signed off the decision.
The topless images have long drawn protests from campaigners, with an online petition attracting more than 215,000 signatures.
A campaign group called No More Page Three was founded in 2012 by Lucy-Anne Holmes, and has since gained support from a number of MPs and anti-sexism charities.
Ms Holmes told BBC Newsnight the group would not claim victory if scantily clad women continued to appear in the paper but it was a "step in the right direction" if they were no longer topless.
She said: "The Sun hasn't suddenly decided that women say, think and do interesting and incredible things, it's still basically saying women are here for decoration."
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was reprimanded in Parliament in 2013 for wearing a T-shirt bearing the message "no more Page Three".
The Irish edition of the Sun stopped topless pictures two years ago.
Reports suggest the change to the paper edition may be reversed if it results in a noticeable drop in sales.
The Times, which has the same publisher as the Sun, said it understood Friday's edition of the Sun was the last which would carry images of topless women, although they would continue online.
Page Three has been a Sun feature for 44 years but has been criticised for being sexist and outdated.
The Sun's press office would neither confirm nor deny the reports.
Dylan Sharpe, the Sun's head of public relations tweeted: "Page 3 will be in the Sun tomorrow in the same place it's always been - between page 2 and page 4."
'Right direction'
The Sun had already stopped carrying topless images at weekends, and sometimes did the same during the week.
Page Three of the Sun featured model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in lingerie on Monday and Hollyoaks actresses Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna appeared in bikinis on a beach on Tuesday.
The Times, which is a News UK title, said the paper had decided to quietly drop the feature. It reported that News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch is understood to have signed off the decision.
The topless images have long drawn protests from campaigners, with an online petition attracting more than 215,000 signatures.
A campaign group called No More Page Three was founded in 2012 by Lucy-Anne Holmes, and has since gained support from a number of MPs and anti-sexism charities.
Ms Holmes told BBC Newsnight the group would not claim victory if scantily clad women continued to appear in the paper but it was a "step in the right direction" if they were no longer topless.
She said: "The Sun hasn't suddenly decided that women say, think and do interesting and incredible things, it's still basically saying women are here for decoration."
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was reprimanded in Parliament in 2013 for wearing a T-shirt bearing the message "no more Page Three".
The Irish edition of the Sun stopped topless pictures two years ago.
Reports suggest the change to the paper edition may be reversed if it results in a noticeable drop in sales.
I'd love to know why anyone would still buy the Sun now it has no boobs in it.
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