Teachers and medical staff could soon have a legal obligation to act if they spot warning signs of violent criminal behaviour, as Theresa May hosts a summit on the issue.

The so-called "public health duty" is being considered by the home secretary as part of a series of measures to tackle a recent surge in violence, which has seen knife crime reach record levels.

The government said any changes would be intended to help spot the warning signs that a young person could be in danger, "such as presenting in A&E with a suspicious injury, to worrying behaviour at school or issues at home".

But the proposal could prove highly contentious, as a consultation will assess the extent to which those on the front line will be held to account for failing to prevent a young person getting involved in violence.

Image: Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick was among those at the Downing Street summit

The plans were being discussed in Downing Street on Monday, as more than 100 experts gathered for a knife crime summit organised by the prime minister.


Opening the discussions, Theresa May said tackling knife crime was a "priority" for ministers.

"In the recent months we know we have seen an appalling number of young lives cut short or devastated by serious violent crime, including of course a number of horrifying incidents that took place just over this weekend," she said.

Police stop and search powers increased

"In many cases the perpetrators of these crimes are as young as their victims and this is something that has to be something of deep concern to us all."

She said: "Of course we will always make sure that the resources and tools are there to be able to apprehend and deal with those who are carrying and using knives and that the police have what they need to do.

"But we cannot simply arrest ourselves out of this problem.

"This is a wider problem, it is more deep-seated and we have to have a more coordinated effort."

The delegation includes Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, Patrick Green from the Ben Kinsella Trust and Baroness Newlove, the victims' commissioner for England and Wales, whose husband Garry was beaten to death by a gang vandalising his car in 2007.

'Exclusion and inequality' are at the root of Britain's knife crime epidemic

As well as hosting the summit, Mrs May will also meet privately with the families of a number of victims of knife crime to listen to their first-hand experiences.

The prime minister said: "To bring about lasting change and protect young people from the tragic violence we have seen on our streets, we need to work across society to intervene early and stop them from being drawn into crime.

"Strong law enforcement plays an important role, and the police will continue to have our support on the front line, but we all need to look at what we can do in our communities, and in every part of the system, to safeguard young people.

"That is why our plans to introduce a whole community - or 'public health' - approach are designed to identify more young people at risk."

It comes a day after Sajid Javid granted police new powers to increase stop and search activity following a spate of stabbings across London and in other main centres of population in England, Scotland and Wales.

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The home secretary said: "Violent crime is like a disease rotting our society and it's essential that all public bodies work together to treat the root causes.

"The public health, multi-agency approach has a proven track record and I'm confident that making it a legal duty will help stop this senseless violence and create long-term change.

"I'm committed to ending this scourge and will use all the tools at my disposal to do so."

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Javed Khan, from the children's charity Barnardo's, said the Downing Street summit "must look at long-term solutions" and commit public funding to tackle violence.

He said: "We need a concerted effort to tackle the profound 'poverty of hope' amongst vulnerable children and young people who see little or no chance of a positive future.

"For them it can feel like joining a gang is the best way - or the only way - to help their mum pay the rent. So this poverty of hope has a devastating impact on society as a whole."

The knife crime summit follows days of violence across the country, including a spate of serious stabbings in Edmonton, north London, as well as the death of a 40-year-old driver at the wheel of his vehicle in Clapham, southwest London, and a 29-year-old fatally stabbed on Thursday afternoon in Liverpool.

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Mrs May came under fire last month after she suggested that police cuts were not to blame for a spate of fatal stabbings against teenagers.

Senior figures in policing were at odds with the prime minister as they called for a reverse to reductions in staffing levels.

The government has recently made more funds available for the police and anti-violence projects.

But many of those attending the summit say much more investment is needed if ministers are serious about tackling the country's knife crime epidemic.