TEACHERS, nurses and police officers could be held accountable for failing to “spot warning signs” of violent crime among young people, under government plans announced yesterday.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid floated the idea of a so-called “public health duty” in an effort to ensure “every part of the system works together to support young people.”

However, NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “This is a complex issue which will not be resolved by putting additional pressures and responsibilities on teachers and head teachers or indeed others.

“A narrative appears to be developing whereby schools excluding pupils are potentially being scapegoated as being part of the problem.”

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: “Yet again Tory ministers are talking tough as crime rises, perhaps as part of their leadership campaigns.

“Passing responsibility to our hard-pressed teachers and nurses won’t work either.”