Nick Clegg defends Page 3 as The Sun brings back topless models

Nick Clegg defended The Sun's right to publish photos of bare-breasted women on the day Page 3 returned to the tabloid paper, quashing hopes of its demise.

Speaking on his LBC radio show "Call Clegg", the Liberal Democrat leader branded the feature "totally outdated", but insisted censoring it was incompatible with his liberal principles.

Deputy Prime Minister Clegg said: "They can publish what they like. [It's a] free society. I'm a liberal who believes the editors should take their own decisions."

Page 3 was back in The Sun after an absence of a few days, with the paper blaming a "mammary lapse" for the moratorium. Despite this, some media pundits reckon its days are numbered.

Clegg said he did not think an image of a young woman bearing her breasts should be the most "prominent depiction of a woman in the paper".

"Do I think it's in keeping with how women want to be represented? Of course it's not. It's totally outdated. I think they should move with the times and it's about time too," the deputy PM said.

Clegg also revealed what song got Michael Gove in trouble with PM David Cameron when it suddenly began blaring from his phone during a Cabinet meeting.

The deputy PM said it was a tune by Beyonce called "Irreplaceable".