Gloria De Piero: Stop searching for topless photos and let me get on with the job

De Piero grew up in Bradford, the daughter of Italian immigrants (Charlie Forgham-Bailey)

The Labour MP Gloria de Piero, who was promoted to Shadow Equalities Minister earlier this month, has released a statement regarding the topless photographs that were taken of her aged 15, asking the media to stop the search for the pictures and let her "get on with the job".

Here's what De Piero had to say:

"I have talked about why I posed for these pictures in interviews before. I thought at the time it was a way of improving my circumstances. This is part of my story and part of who I am. I can’t change it now but this happened over twenty years ago.

"It is now time to call off the hunt for these pictures and let me get on with the job I was elected to do, representing the people of Ashfield and serving in the shadow cabinet.

"I don’t think anyone wants politics to be open only to those people who were planning their political careers in their teens. I would like to see a politics that represents our country, including many more women from all walks of life, and that is something I am passionately committed to help bring about.

"No one should have to worry that something they did when they were young might prevent them from serving their community or getting involved in politics at a local or national level."

Her statement, released this morning, has won praise on Twitter:

Do you think the media is changing its attitude to the past lives of politicians, now they can be so extensively archived on or offline? Let us know in the comments below