Adverts considered 'sexist' have today been banned from billboards across Paris after feminists raised an outcry over so-called 'porno chic'.

The Paris city council voted for the ban today and the city's Mayor Anne Hidalgo said Paris was 'leading the way' in the fight against sexism.

Among those ads which are expected to be banned are those from Yves Saint Laurent's latest campaign, which have been accused of 'degrading' models and even 'inciting rape'.

Hélène Bidard, a French Communist Party councillor and Deputy Mayor, tweeted today: 'Victory in the Paris Council. @JCDecaux_France agrees not to disseminate sexist, discriminatory, LGBT phobic ads in Paris.'

Activists inside one of Yves Saint Laurent's shops in Paris hold placards accusing the poster campaign of being 'sexist'

The ban is expected to include ads from Yves Saint Laurent, whose recent poster campaign (pictured) was accused of 'degrading' models and 'inciting rape'

One image shows a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs while another shows a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool.

The French fashion house's campaign, featuring painfully thin models, had sparked outrage with calls for it to be banned.

France's advertising authority said most of the complaints it received were from people who saw the images as an 'incitement to rape'.

Activists from the French feminist group efFRONTees protest against the ads in Paris

The Local reported that from now on advertisers in Paris will have to 'ensure that no advertising of a sexist of discriminatory nature can be broadcast on the municipal display network'.

The French company JC Decaux, which manages the billboards, will be given discretion to decide what posters have over-stepped the mark.

Ms Hidalgo said it was 'an important measure in bringing to a public space the daily fight against stereotypes and against violence towards women'.

Another controversial poster (pictured) shows a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs

Its director Stephane Martin said the brand appeared to have 'uncontestably breached' the rules.

'I am not sure that (Yves Saint Laurent's) female clients would like to be associated with these images,' he said.

Martin said the latest campaign had been created by Yves Saint Laurent's in-house team, and questioned if its new young designer Anthony Vaccarello had not gone too far.

The Belgian creator has flirted with bad taste in his first two shows for the brand in which he radically ramped up the sex factor.

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'We had a similar type of porno chic (in fashion advertising) a decade ago, and here we have it coming back again which isn't acceptable,' Martin added.

He said they would decide on what action to take after meeting the label on Friday.

The authority bars all 'degrading and humiliating representations of people', and can demand that advertisers withdraw or change their campaigns.

Yves Saint Laurent has not commented.

Britain's advertising watchdog banned a Saint Laurent advert two years ago that featured an overly thin model whose ribcage was showing.