Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is to consider axing The Sun’s long-running Page 3 feature – because of the efforts of a 36-year-old from Hove.

Lucy Holmes posted a petition on the campaigning website Change.org in September last year.

Now, just six months down the line, she has 80,000 signatures calling for the end of topless pictures in the paper.

But perhaps her campaign’s greatest scoop came earlier this week when a speculative Tweet was sent to the newspaper’s owner – and one of the richest men in the world – Rupert Murdoch.

On February 10, campaigners messaged the tycoon: “#nomorepage3.

“Seriously, we are all so over page 3 - it is so last century!”

Like so many of their previous attempts they presumed their calls would fall on deaf ears.

But just minutes later the Australian responded: “page three so last century! You may be right, don’t know but considering.

“Perhaps halfway house with glamorous fashionistas.”

Lucy said: "We’re obviously happy that Rupert Murdoch is thinking about this issue – we’ve said from the start that this isn’t about legislation or censorship but about the top people at The Sun getting to grips with the outdated and sexist nature of Page 3.”

The writer and actor set up the No More Page 3 campaign in response to the dearth of sportswomen in the tabloids following the London Olympics.

In the months since, she has gathered support from across the world including famous faces such as Tony Blair’s right-hand man Alastair Campbell, singer Eliza Doolittle and comedian Jennifer Saunders.

In an open letter to The Sun’s editor, Dominic Mohan, she said: “George Alagiah doesn’t say, ‘And now let’s look at Courtney, 21, from Warrington’s, bare breasts,’ in the middle of the 6 o’clock news, does he, Dominic?

“And you shouldn’t show the naked breasts of young women in your widely read ‘family’ newspaper either.”

Page 3 has been a feature of the paper since November 1970.

Bosses at Change.org have said that 15,000 people have signed the petition since the Murdoch tweet, making it one of the most popular on the site.