Feminist groups targeted News International’s Wapping headquarters at the weekend to protest over the “institutional sexism” of page 3 of the Sun newspaper.

Campaigners from OBJECT teamed up with the Turn Your Back on Page 3 campaign during a rally held to coincide with the 42nd anniversary of the use of pictures of topless models on page 3.

The group presented evidence during the Leveson Inquiry, and called on Lord Justice Leveson to clamp down on wider sexism within the media when he delivers his report, expected in the coming month.

Sophie Bennett, who is a campaigns and policy officer at OBJECT, said: “This year is a really exciting year in this debate.

“Page 3 is really symbolic of media sexism and it represents a culture that trivialises women.

“Those pictures would not be allowed on our televisions before the watershed, so why are they in our papers?”

The protest attracted hundreds of people who held up a collage of pictures designed to illustrate the different presentations of men and women in the media.

OBJECT has also urged people to write to Leveson to end the “institutional sexism” of page 3 and in the media generally.

However, a spokesman insisted page 3 was a valuable part of what makes the Sun the UK’s biggest selling daily paper.

“The reason The Sun is so successful is because it has a uniquely close bond with its readers’ hopes, aspirations and interests”, he said.

“Page 3 has been an institution since 1970 and it continues to launch successful careers for women in modelling, acting and television. The Sun has always been proud of its Page 3 girls and the great work they have done over the past 42 years.”