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UK schoolteachers will learn how to identify students involved in gangs by searching computer accounts, social networks and email.

Beverly Hughes, the children's minister, said, "There is evidence that, if gangs aren't growing in number then they are coming down the age range," The Guardian reported. "There is anecdotal evidence that girls are being used in particular ways that puts them at risk and is very disturbing," Hughes said.

Hughes suggested using screening software to monitor students on social networking sites after police in Liverpool had used similar strategies to flag gang activity.

Recommendations for teachers include learning to identify signs of gang membership by paying attention to the color of clothes students wear, items of jewelry, expensive shoes and if they suddenly acquire new mobile phones.

Hughes will present the guidelines at a Home Office event on addressing gang crime in Birmingham today. She said the recommendations would help schools deal with "signs or rumors in their locality," that students might be involved in gangs.
 

Earlier this week the UK government said it was considering creating a massive database that would hold all the details of emails, phone calls and text messages of its residents in order to fight crime and terrorism.

Assistant Information Commissioner Jonathan Bamford warned,"Holding large collections of data is always risky. The more data that is collected and stored, the bigger the problem when the data is lost, traded or stolen."