A magazine cover photograph of female civil servants posing as St Trinian's schoolgirls is at the centre of a row about sexism in Whitehall.

Female readers of the Lord Chancellor's Department's inhouse magazine, Hearsay, reacted angrily when it published the St Trinian's picture on the front of an issue in which the editors tried to raise the profile of feminist issues.

One senior official described the picture as "demeaning to women" and only served to "promulgate Lolita images".

Insult was added to injury because the magazine also included an article by a member of the newly established Women's Focus Group criticising the display of a life-size poster of the pop star Britney Spears in a government office.

In a letter to the magazine's editors, the Lord Chancellor's official demanded an apology, saying that the St Trinian's picture was "disrespectful to all children and their parents in that it appears to sanction the sexualisation of female children ... and catered to the predelictions of paedophiles."

Another woman who works in Lord Irvine of Lairg's headquarters described the St Trinian's officials, all members of the five-a-side football team representing the office of the Official Solicitor, as having "wildcat overtones".

Others hoped that the Women's Focus Group objection to the Britney Spears poster would also extend to the St Trinian's picture.

In the St Trinian's edition of Hearsay, Caroline Hadfield, a founding member of the Women's Focus Group, said she was surprised to find a Britney Spears poster on one of the walls because it reflected "outdated attitudes". The group was looking at whether there was a "battle to be fought" over "sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour", she said.

But male civil servants have responded by attacking the political correctness they claim is engulfing the Lord Chancellor's Department.

An official from the department's headquarters said in one of the letters: "I too have seen posters around, but of male pop stars or sportsmen." Responding to the call for more awareness of women's rights, he said: "If we truly want to achieve an equal society then we need to have all groups represented, including men, who incidentally have fewer legal rights than women.

"Men too have a need to work reasonable hours. Men are often under a greater pressure to stay late to avoid taking a day off to be with the kids."

A male member of the Judicial Appointments Unit at the department writes to acknowledge that St Trinian's picture was "un-PC" but believes it was acceptable because the women were taking part in a charity event.

Hearsay said it had received many more letters expressing disquiet over the cover picture but that the writers did not want their views published. The editors said they hoped that the "St Trinian's issue was now closed".