THE Royal Marines' butch calendar boys have been censored by military bosses, who have banned them from stripping off for a charity fundraiser.

The popular annual Go Commando calendar, which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to support Marine families, has been banned by the Ministry of Defence.

Members of Norton Fitzwarren-based 40 Commando had been sweating it out in the gym to tone up their muscles for the 2017 calendar - only to be stood down on the order of the MoD.

Scores of people getting excited about our boys from Norton Manor Camp flexing their muscles have taken to social media to protest at the high command flexing their muscles instead.

Former Royal Marine lieutenant colonel Kevin du Val, chairman of Go Commando, expressed his disappointment on the cover up ruling.

He said: "The calendar is a great fundraiser and a bit of fun.

"Every year we have had to apply to the MoD to use service personnel, but this year they haven't given permission.

"They felt it was sexualising the Royal Marines. I don't agree with that. It's disappointing, but that's life."

Thousands of copies of the calendar have been sold since it first appeared in 2012, its most successful year, when it raised more than £100,000 for Go Commando, which supports Royal Marines and their families.

Mr du Val added: "We've got to go with what the military have said.

"We'll see if we can change their minds, but it's too late for 2017.

"We're going to review it and might get some retired Royal Marines to pose for a calendar in 2018."

Retired Commandos posed for a previous calendar, although it failed to sell as well as other years.

Money from next year's calendar would have gone towards a £400,000 nursery and family community centre in Norton Fitzwarren available for use by the military and civilian population.

Among Facebook comments upset at the decision to block next year's calendar were: Lynne Brittany: "Could serving Marines hide their faces behind something, e.g. a basketball or tyre as the original ladies hid their assets behind cakes etc. After all, be truthful, it's not faces being looked at."

Allison Bristow: "Very disappointing. The money it raises should be the main issue here! I fail to see the point of stopping a bit of fun that promotes an amazing group of people who are asked to put themselves in harms way to protect us all."

Simon Ferguson: "It's a shame you don't have the support of the Royal Marines command. They should hang their heads in shame."