As soon as rumours started circulating early last week that The Sun had ditched its famous Page 3 feature, the Times Guardian sprung into action.

High-level talks were held to discuss whether to introduce half-naked women (and men) into this newspaper and who on earth we could get to pose.

After much gnashing of teeth, soul searching and inappropriate suggestions, we contacted former borough mayor Pat Sandle, of Beach Approach, Warden.

The deal was done, the photos taken and interview held...only for The Sun to announce it wasn’t getting rid of Page 3, after all.

However, STG’s Page 3 “bird” reckons the paper would have been wrong to drop daily “stunners” from its pages.

Cllr Sandle, 77, who sportingly agreed to pose in this week’s homage to the topless feature, said she would regret the passing of a what she referred to as an institution.

“Page 3 was like GI Jane was in the war – something light-hearted,” she said.

“Quite a few women built a career out of it, they weren’t forced to do it and people weren’t forced to read it.

“What they show in TV and films nowadays is just crude, Page 3 was playful.”

Cllr Sandle said she met a number of topless models when The Sun was at its sauciest in the early 1970s. “When I lived in Bethnal Green, London, my son’s school arranged a teachers versus Page 3 match,” she said.

“I was referee, for my sins, and to make up numbers, the models brought some of their glamourpuss friends along.

“There was a really good crowd, and, in the end, it was agreed to call the game a draw.

“I remember one goal was scored when some of the Page 3 girls carried the goalie into the net with the ball. He loved it.”