Gravesend Page 3 girl Mellisa Clarke attacks Tesco 'censorship' over tabloid cover-up plans

Mellisa Clarke slammed the retailer over the move, which will affect how all tabloid papers are displayed, from the red tops to mid-market titles like The Daily Mail and The Express.

From the end of the month, Tesco’s ‘news cube’ displays will keep tabloid front pages above the eye level of small children by storing them sideways, making only their names and logos visible lower down.

Adult customers will still be able to see the full pages higher up the displays, in a move the company said was part of its duty as a "family retailer".

Twenty-three-year-old Mellisa is regularly pictured topless on page three of The Sun, after winning the paper’s Page 3 Idol competition in January last year.

She has previously railed against the Co-operative's decision to force lads' mags including Nuts, Zoo and Front to provide 'modesty bags' or the supermarket would refuse to stock them.

Mellisa told News Shopper: "It’s just like censorship.

"I get what they’re trying to say but it’s a bit annoying when you’ve got magazines like Pick Me Up with ‘My Dad raped me’ headlines being displayed and no one’s doing anything about that.

"You turn on the TV and there’s a lot more provocative stuff out there like music videos, which kids do watch.

"With Page 3 I feel in this day and age, when a lot of girls are not confident about themselves, it’s good to see a group of girls who are.

"If you don’t like it, don’t look and buy a different paper."

The move follows pressure on retailers from groups including No More Page 3 and Child Eyes.

Tesco customer experience and insight director Tracey Clements said: "We are first and foremost a family retailer and it’s important we do everything we can to promote the right environment in store.

"We’ve asked our customers what they think about the issue and we have spoken to campaigners.

"The change we’re making will strike the right balance for everyone."