Teachers have been told how to spot cases of potential forced marriage as the summer holidays approach.

The guidelines, issued to schools, doctors and the police aim to to identify families in which girls are made to marry against their will while abroad in the summer.

Chris Bryant, the Foreign Office Minister, insisted that every school should be looking at the issue as he acknowledged some may have been “uncertain” about cultural sensitivities.

The summer break is a peak time for incidents of young people, usually girls, being taken to south Asia in particular and forced by their families to marry.

Seventy per cent of cases involve families of Pakistani origin, and 11 per cent from a Bangladeshi background, according to the most recent figures from the Forced Marriage Unit.

“It may be possible that some schools have been uncertain about the cultural issues here.

“But I should make it absolutely clear there is no culture and there is no religion in which forced marriage should be acceptable or indeed is acceptable.”

He also rejected any notion that it was an issue to do with the Islamic faith. “Marriage in every religion has to be freely consented to,” he told the BBC.

There have been 770 calls to the Forced Marriage Unit so far this year, a 16 per cent increase on the same period last year. But there is concern that many of those affected are frightened to come forward and make their plight known.

Mr Bryant said: “The most important thing is to spot the problem before it happens. There are key times of the year just as now when this is the case.”

Tell-tale signs can include self-harm or sudden lack of interest in academic work, he said.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Postmen: We bind the nation together
• Tewkesbury: when the memories flood back
• Cast Offs actress: I’m happy that my face fits