Children as young as four are showing signs of mental health problems, a survey of teachers has shown.

Anxiety, panic attacks and depression are among the symptoms displayed by infant school pupils, according to a poll carried out by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

In one case, a teacher described an eight-year-old pupil who climbed on the roof and said they wanted to kill themselves.

The poll also indicates that many teachers are aware of sexual harassment among students, and youngsters sharing sexual messages, photos and videos.

Overall, 96 per cent of the more than 1,300 union members questioned said that they believe there are pupils that they come into contact with that are experiencing mental health issues.

Of these, around one in seven said that pupils experiencing these difficulties were aged between four and seven, while over a quarter (27 per cent) said they were aged seven to 11.

The age group that teachers were most likely to say were affected were those age 11 to 16. Some one per cent said that children under four were affected.