Pierre Achkar, the mayor of Brummana, said the revealing new outfit would help to “change the bleak picture of Lebanon in the west”.

He has denied allegations of sexism and claimed the outfits “could be sexy for some people, and ordinary for others”.

But he also hinted that the uniform change could be a short-lived stunt.

Mr Achkar told BBC News: “Every year, we try to make a shock to bring the international media and locals and tourists to Brummana.”